Do I Have A Purpose Anymore?
by Kingkakashi
Summary: Naruto has loved 3 women in his life; all of them broke his heart. Life in the Village has become too much for him to endure anymore. Leaving, he sets off a chain of events, including attempting to free Princess Koyuki and the Land of Spring from Madara and his Akatsuki all the while, as many people chase after him, some for love and others to kill him. Bleach x-over Harem
1. A Fateful Decision

**Disclaimer:** "Naruto" and all its characters are property of Kishimoto Masashi, and I claim no ownership. "Bleach" and all of its characters are the property of Noriaki 'Tite' Kubo and I claim no ownership.

**Do I Have A Purpose Anymore?**

**Chapter 1: A Fateful Decision**

A shirtless Naruto was panting heavily as he continued his training, sweat glistening off his well-toned muscular frame, dripping from his forehead onto his chiseled chest. Before falling onto the ground, forming a small pool beneath him, as he mercilessly punched at the rock before him with his bloodied hands.

Long gone was the usual trademark orange jumpsuit he used to wear, but now sported a pair of black Jounin baggy pants much like ones worn by his old Sensei Kakashi. The necklace that Tsunade had given him hung loosely from his neck, but discarded to the side was a Jounin vest, and a black t-shirt. He had taken them off to cool down, so he would not have to halt his training, which at this point was nothing more than pounding away at a large boulder that shook with every hit and crumbled away into dust a little bit more with each blow.

He felt no pain as his bloody fists smacked into the stone, the Jinchuuriki enhanced strength and healing properties of the young Jounin was truly a marvel to behold. He said nothing as he hit the object before him, and cared not who might see him, training in the oppressive heat of the summer afternoon

Nothing mattered to Naruto anymore, even when he had everything he thought he had wanted, he was miserable. He had found Sasuke, five years ago; they both had been 18 at the time. A fierce battle had ensued. They had been evenly matched for a time, but in the cataclysmic climax of the battle, he had finally defeated the Uchiha, without killing him, and dragged him back to the Leaf village.

Upon their return, he had been hailed as a hero. Everyone praised him and he was finally receiving the recognition he had sought his entire life. Even Sasuke had thanked him for bringing him back. After that Naruto had joined the ANBU and quickly rose through the ranks to become a Jounin Captain. He had even recently been recommended by the village Council, the same Council that had been a plague to him for years growing up, as the successor to Tsunade to become the next Hokage.

This should have made him happy, everything he had strived so hard to achieve was finally coming to fruition, but it did not make him happy. All Naruto had felt for the last three years was emptiness that grew a little more every single day. Naruto winced has he struck the boulder again, as his mind drifted to the people who had brought this endless sense of nothingness upon him.

Sakura was now engaged to Sasuke after five years of being together.

Hinata had long since married Kiba three years ago.

Ino was an ANBU, as was Shikamaru. They had been dating for the last two years.

Everyone was prosperous, as was he.

But, what was there for him anymore? What purpose did he have? To be Hokage? He felt no drive, no desire for that position any longer. Part of that dream he had told no one about was to be able to share that success with someone by his side to love and be loved. Unfortunately Kami, fate, or whatever had deemed that not to be, so what was the point of being Hokage if you're all alone? He found no joy in this village anymore, but oddly enough, he bore it no ill will either.

What had happened to him?

What did he feel?

He felt nothing.

As he turned to pickup his shirt and necklace and put them on when he heard a voice softly say.

"I'm sorry, Naruto. I'm sorry for everything."

He froze for a moment before turning on his heel to face her, his cerulean blue eyes locked coldly onto her widened emerald eyes and he asked.

"What was that?"

Taking in a deep breath, she was about to repeat herself, but he stopped her when he snapped, the hate eating at his heart and soul.

"You're _sorry_, you're sorry for what, Sakura? For all the pain you've given me my entire life. From hitting me, belittling me, and finally humiliating me over the years. Are you sorry for using me as a tool to return your precious Sasuke-kun back to you? Is that what you are sorry for?"

Naruto's eyes were red and narrowed into slits as he fought desperately from letting his anger fuel the red chakra building within him from bursting forth.

"Or are you _sorry_ because everyone in this village sees you for what you really are? A selfish manipulative bitch, who will use whatever means she needs to get what she wants and if she doesn't throws a temper tantrum until she does!"

Sakura was at a loss for words, and managed to stammer out:

"Wh-What's come over you?" Sakura pleadingly asked the hurt of Naruto's words evident in her voice.

Tentatively, she placed a hand on his shoulder, but he viciously slapped it off.

"Why are you so angry?" Sakura asked in a worried murmur.

Naruto laughed, but it was not the kind of laugh that was friendly. In fact, it was the furthest thing from friendly. This laugh it was harsh and filled with anger, malice and rage. When he opened his eyes, they were as cold and unfriendly as ice, as he now spat at her with spite.

"I can't believe you have the audacity to ask me that question? When you above all others should know why I'm angry. I'm sorry Sakura, I suppose you were expecting me to accept your apology with a smile on my face and jump up and down and follow you all over the place like a little puppy-dog, just like I did when we were kids. Am I right?"

A chill went through Sakura's body at the sound of the venom dripping from Naruto's voice and his glare broke her heart. Sakura had missed the way Naruto use to look at her. The way he would speak softly to her when she was sad, lonely, or needed support. That Naruto was gone and the cold brutal one standing before her now she herself had helped to create by her own hands as he continued on.

"Well, let me tell you, I don't want anything to do with you. I'm not your little bitch anymore Haruno. Nothing you could say to me would ever make me change my mind. I brought your Sasuke-kun back to you. What did you think that you can just waltz in and say _sorry_ and everything will go back to the way it was?"

Naruto snorted with derision not waiting for an answer and in a voice that was literally dripping with sarcasm said.

"Sweetheart, I am not falling for it. I was a fool once for you, but never again, never freaking again! I will not become the Jiraiya to your Tsunade for the rest of my life!"

Sakura fought desperately to hold back the tears that were trying to well in her eyes. What could she say? What could she do? Why didn't she realize after her encounter with him last month that he bore a deep hatred and anger towards her and had for a longtime.

**(Flashback one month) **

As Naruto stumbled out of the bar with an opened bottle of sake in his hand it was late and he was drunk, very drunk. Naruto had tried to convince himself that the reason he was hammered was because he was celebrating….. alone of course. His celebration being the fact that on his last mission he had broken Hatake Sakumo the legendary White Fang and his former Sensei's father's record for most kills in ANBU history. Such a feat had garnered him much praise throughout the village, so why not celebrate the achievement. However, deep down Naruto knew the only reason he got drunk, which was getting more frequent was to drive back the memories of three people over the last three years. When Naruto staggered over to a lamppost and leaned against it to steady himself to take another drink a friendly voice called out.

"Hey dobe."

Looking over through half-lidded eyes, Naruto spied his two former teammates and any merriment he had been feeling quickly disappeared, as he coldly replied before taking another swig of the bottle.

"Teme,…..Sakura."

Both Sasuke and Sakura shot pensive looks at one another before they approached Naruto and Sasuke said.

"Hey Naruto, we've been looking everywhere for you. We heard you got back from your latest mission and wanted to find you before you left on another one. You've been doing so many missions these past three years, we've hardly ever see you anymore."

"Well, now you've found me, what do you want?" Naruto replied in a bored tone of voice.

"Sakura and I have some exciting news and we wanted you to be the first to know, go on Sakura, why don't you tell him."

"I don't know Sasuke, maybe we should wait until Naruto's feeling better."

"I feel the same way I always do Sakura, so go ahead and tell me this exciting news." Naruto commented in a monotone sounding voice before taking another drink.

"Nar-Naruto…I, we…..Well, Sasuke and I wanted to announce that we are going to be getting married soon and, and…." Sakura stammered.

"…..and we want you to be the best man. Kami Sakura, it's not that hard to say." Sasuke stated with annoyance at his fiancée's stammering, as he finished her sentence.

Anger and jealousy burned at Naruto's soul and he clenched his fist until his knuckles turned white, but forced a smile for Sakura and Sasuke and firmly said.

"Congratulations."

Naruto then brought the bottle up to his mouth and took another large swig of the burning liquor.

"Is that all you have to say dobe?" Sasuke queried.

"What more do you want teme?"

"I want you to be my best man"

"Sorry, I don't think I can do that."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm busy these days, you yourself said it; I have a lot of missions that need to be accomplished over the next few months. I've been given a lot of responsibility in the ANBU and I have no way of attending the wedding."

"Our wedding is going to be next month Naruto. You can't take one day off for that, for me and Sakura?"

"I can't Sasuke; my responsibilities concern the safety of the Leaf village so I can't."

"That's bullshit and you know it."

That was the straw that broke Naruto's proverbial back, as he had been keeping in all the anger, envy, and resentment he had felt for a long time for his former teammates. Seething with rage, he glared at the engaged couple and angrily declared.

"You know what's bullshit? Its bullshit that after everything I've given to you teme….….. literally, that you two have the nerve to ask me that and then when I say I can't, you try and guilt me into doing it! You know what, Fuck it! I may or may not have a mission next month but whether I do or not I can tell you one thing I won't be attending your wedding!"

"After everything you've given me, what the hell are you talking about dobe?" Sasuke shouted with angered confusion.

Naruto shot a quick look at Sakura who had remained silent with her head bowed down and then it hit Naruto like a ton of bricks who suddenly realized and said with low mocking laughter at her.

"Ha, ha, ha, he doesn't know does he, after all this time and he still doesn't know."

"Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha…!"

Naruto then turned around and walked away his maniacal laughter growing in intensity as he left his teammates standing in the street.

**(End of Flashback)**

Taking a deep breath, Sakura nodded and did her best to mask the pain she was feeling inside before softly saying.

"I understand, I won't bother you ever again Naruto. I just wanted you to know that I'm truly sorry for all the pain I've caused you and deeply regret my past actions towards you. I never meant to hurt you, but I did and I'm sorry and there's nothing more that I can say other than that."

Turning away from the young man, she held her head up high as she walked off of the training field and towards the Hokage's office to report in from her mission. After that when she was alone in her apartment, then she could cry.

For little did Naruto know that she had broken off her engagement with Sasuke, as both of them had decided to go their separate ways.

Naruto watched her go, and when she was gone, he angrily swung around and with a chakra enhanced fist punched a tree that seemed to explode on contact, as wooden chunks of shrapnel fell about the training grounds like rain falling from the sky.

"DAMN IT!"

His rage filled scream echoed in the air, before he slumped down to the ground. Naruto mentally cursed at himself for melting to her words, and then attacking her with his. A large part of him felt that she deserved it, but his heart cried in agony.

It was not just her, but she was a part of it. Where had he gone wrong? Why wasn't he deserving of some happiness? Somewhere along the way, he had lost himself, and he knew not how to replace what he had lost.

Love, Joy, Happiness. Naruto now realized he would not find any of that here. All he found here was nothing but pain. So what purpose did he have anymore in his life?"

Naruto looked down at his Jounin vest still lying on the ground for a moment before kicking it away. This place was too much for him. She along with the other two had been too much for him. Everything in this village was just too much and he was going insane as a result.

He had to leave.

* * *

It was late into the night and no one was awake. So, there was not a soul present to see one blonde young man with a pack strapped to his back walking calmly towards the gates of the village.

Or so he thought.

In a swirl of leaves, Sasuke appeared before him, clad in Jounin attire with arms crossed over his chest. His black obsidian orbs fell on the backpack Naruto had shouldered, and he frowned, as he put two and two together.

Naruto was leaving.

Naruto's cold cerulean blue eyes met his and he said nothing. He took a step forward, but Sasuke was in front of him in an instant barring his path with his arms out to block him, as he asked.

"Naruto, what's wrong?"

There was genuine concern resonating in Sasuke's voice, as he remembered going down a similar path years ago. A dark path Naruto had saved him from and had shown him the light. He owed his friend that much, to steer him away from this path.

Naruto's eyes narrowed as he was stopped and a second later, there was a kunai pressed against Sasuke's throat, held by him as said demanded with seriousness.

"Move Sasuke, don't make me kill you!"

Sasuke shook his head, ignoring the small trickle of blood it drew, as the blade nicked his throat.

"No, this isn't the Naruto I know. You saved me from this dark path and I won't let you now go down the same path."

A dry and bitter laughter filled the air, as Naruto shook his head before saying.

"Sasuke, you just don't get it do you?"

He leaned in now, and whispered into the ear of his best friend.

"The Naruto you knew is dead, he died three years ago."

Sasuke frowned at this as Naruto pulled back and he angrily shouted at his friend.

"Baka, I refuse to believe that. You're still the same loser, the same teammate, the same best friend."

Naruto scowled at him now, and the Uchiha knew a different tactic was in order and exclaimed.

"Sakura broke off the engagement. She wants to be with you. I told her to listen to her heart."

Naruto paused for a moment before he lowered the kunai, and Sasuke saw a grave sadness in the eyes of his friend.

"I'm sorry, but it doesn't matter anymore Sasuke, I can't stay here, it hurts too much. I won't betray the village that I swear to you, but neither can I stay here any longer. What's been taken from me, I can never get back if I stay here."

In a flash, he was behind Sasuke and the Uchiha heard Naruto quietly say.

"Thank you for being my friend."

Sasuke then felt everything go dark from a quick chop to his neck.

As his friend collapsed to the ground, Naruto turned around to continue his journey and in one monumental leap, soared over the village gates and into the night, his life was uncertain except for one thing.

Naruto Uzumaki had left the Leaf Village.

* * *

**Author Note:**If you didn't already know, this is a revised version of a story I've been co-writing with my fellow author NeonZangetsu called **"****My Purpose? What is my Purpose?" **The story started off as an original work creation by NeonZangetsu. I joined in the writing of the tale on chapter 11 and NeonZ and I have alternated writing chapters since then. He has the even-numbered chapters to write, and I have the odd beginning with chapter 11. Unfortunately, NeonZ has had some serious health issues among other major things going on in his life and has not been able to write the latest chapter for the last six months.

However, I wanted the story to have a conclusion so NeonZ and I came to agreement. We are going to leave the original story up with his account and one day life permitting he might return to the tale and finish it and I will be creating this new revised version of the story on my account. And while some things will remain the same in the story I can assure you that this new revised version I will be doing will not be a carbon copy of the original. If you're a fan of the angst, drama, suspense, surprises, and romance I've done with my story. Then you should enjoy reading this tale as well, both the original version and the revised version. And I urge all readers to checkout both versions when they have a chance and please feel free to leave reviews on both versions as well.

Take it easy and be good!

_**Kingkakashi**_


	2. A Hero Returns

**Do I Have A Purpose Anymore?**

**Chapter 2: A Hero Returns**

Naruto silently walked along the dirt road not caring where he went, but just content to keep walking. Three days ago, he had just committed an act of treason; he had deserted the Village Hidden in the Leaves and KO'd Sasuke in the process who had desperately attempted to stop him.

However, nothing and no one could have stopped him thatnight. Naruto felt if he had spent just one more day in the village, it would drive him to madness. And once he had left, it felt good to have the wind in his hair and fresh air in his lungs, as he let out a comfortable sigh. Naruto felt just a bit happier now that he was out of the village and commented to himself.

"I hope they can understand why I left?"

Then it hit him, like a chakra enhanced punch from Tsunade. They wouldn't understand why he left. All they would be concerned with was the fact that he had left. The stark realization finally sunk into Naruto that he was a missing nin now. What's more he was a Jounin Captain of his former village, so they would never stop looking for him. He would be hunted down and be dragged back to the village, or killed outright to preserve the secrets he knew of Konoha from being revealed, as Naruto thought to himself.

'_Perhaps this was what Sasuke had lived with, when he left the village, all those years ago? Was it this bad, this feeling of always having to look over your shoulder?'_

Naruto didn't like this feeling, not one bit. The thought of fighting his friends was not a pleasant one to him, and it made him frown for the first time since he left at the thought of having to see the life fade from their eyes, to have their blood on his hands.

He quickened his pace a bit, as worry clouded his features before he exclaimed.

"I have to get out of here and fast, but where to go?"

He needed to find a place to stay for a little while to elude the tracker ninja that would undoubtedly be sent his way soon. Naruto knew his initial deterrent to stop them had been only temporary measure at the time of his departure. Konoha would never give up hunting for him that much was for certain, as he stopped walking and contemplated with himself.

"But where should I go? I can't take up refuge in Suna, at least not yet, that would put Gaara in a bad spot politically. Still I have to think of somewhere to go; I can't just walk around aimlessly."

Then it hit him and he knew exactly where he could go, even if it were just for a brief amount of time he would be safe there.

**(Flashback Three Days)**

Tsunade felt tears start to well in her hazel-colored eyes, as a bedraggled Sasuke walked into her office and gave her the heartbreaking news.

"I'm sorry Hokage-sama, it's no use. When Naruto left the village he created a few hundred clones and sent them off in various directions. The Inuzuka trackers can't tell which trail is the true scent of the real Naruto? The dobe could be anywhere by now.

Instantly, the Uchiha received an accusing glare from the Godaime Hokage not liking Sasuke's insulting nickname for Naruto, as she spat with condemnation.

"Never call him that in front of me again Uchiha and I want to know did you have anything to do with Naruto leaving?"

"No Hokage-sama, in fact I tried to stop him, which is why I look the way I do!"

"Alright, I want the whole story. How did Naruto respond when you tried to stop him?"

Sasuke sighed as he ran his left hand over his face, not sure if he should mention this next part, but knew he couldn't refuse his Hokage and begrudgingly answered.

"At first, he threatened to kill me and then when I told him that Sakura and I had broken off our engagement, he said that it didn't matter because the old Naruto died three years ago. He promised on our friendship that he wouldn't turn on or betray the village, but he said he just couldn't stay here anymore. He mentioned something about what's been taken from him he can never get back if he stayed here."

Tsunade buried her head in palms of her hands, as the buxom blonde Hokage wasn't 100% certain, but she had a pretty good idea what Naruto was referring to and the guilt of her role in that affair overcame her and she began to weep. After a few minutes, she inhaled a deep breath, raised up her head up from her palms and when she did, her expression was unreadable.

"He may be a friend to us all, but we can't let him leave the village like he did. As long as he has the Kyuubi sealed within him, he is a dangerous threat to our village. Not to mention all the secrets of the village he possesses as well. Because of all of that, I'm going to have to list him as an A-Ranked missing nin."

Sasuke was stunned beyond words upon realizing with horror what that meant for his friend and surrogate brother, as he shouted with disbelief.

"You want him dead!"

Tsunade said nothing as Sasuke glared at her, while the Uchiha's mind drifted to the memory of his fight with Naruto five years ago. When the blonde shinobi had literallybeat the hell out of Sasuke, and just when Naruto was about to deliver the final blow and end Sasuke's life as he should have, he relented. The memory of that day was forever engrained into Sasuke's mind.

**(Memory Flashback Five Years)**

A battered and bloody Naruto stood over and equally beaten Sasuke. His hand held a red Rasengan, and it was poised ready to deliver the final blow to the downed Uchiha, who lay motionless from the wounds Naruto had inflicted. So immense was Naruto's power that he had used only six of the nine tails of the great and powerful Kyuubi no Youko.

Sasuke coughed up some blood, and glared at his rival before spitting.

"Finish it you stupid dobe, put me out of-URK!

Sasuke gasped in pain, as Naruto's free hand suddenly lashed out and grabbed him by his collar hoisting the Uchiha into the air, leaving his feet dangling off the ground in midair as he was held there by his foe.

Just like Sasuke had done to him in the Valley of the End.

"No."

Was the lone word Naruto spoke, as he lowered his chakra covered hand, extinguishing the red Rasengan he held within it, releasing the red energy, as his eyes faded to their cerulean blue color before the blonde shinobi shouted with determination.

"You're coming back to the village teme, whether you want to or not!"

**(End of Memory Flashback)**

Sasuke smiled nostalgically at that memory.

_'He fought like a demon that night, and yet he spared me.' _

Then the reality of what the Hokage had just done re-emerged and rage overtook him, as he shouted with fury.

"After all he has done for this village, all he has done for ME, all he has done for YOU and you want him Dead? What kind of Hokage are you?"

The Fifth Hokage knew exactly how he felt, be she would no tolerate insubordination. Slamming her hands down on her desk with an audible, earsplitting crack, she scowled at the angry Uchiha before her before firing back in response.

"Fool, I said A-ranked not S-ranked which is an automatic kill on sight order. And damn it, I don't have a choice, but to list him as a missing-nin. The Civilian Council led by Danzo and those two old crones of my Sensei's teammates are just looking for a reason to force me to step down as Hokage. So if it looked like I was showing favoritism by not issuing that rank on missing shinobi of Naruto's caliber because of who he is that would just be the ammunition they need to oust me!"

"Hn, what a brave Hokage you are." Sasuke snorted sarcastically.

"Listen you little brat, there is no other way."

Looking at the picture of him and Jiraiya on her desk, Tsunade exhaled a sad sigh for her now dead teammate. In the picture he and a younger more cheerful Naruto were both smiling brightly eyes closed and flashing the peace sign to the camera. The image of Naruto and Jiraiya having calmed her down Tsunade looked up and said in a somber tone of voice.

"The Akatsuki were never finished off Sasuke. Naruto may be above Sannin or even a Kage level now, but so was Jiraiya back then and we all know what happened to him."

Sasuke hung his head in sad remembrance, the memory of Naruto weeping over the pervert's grave; it was still painfully fresh in his mind. The Sannin had been like a father to the hyperactive blonde much of his life and now he too was dead. Another of his precious people forcefully ripped away from him. Tsunade's next words made him feel like screaming, as he was helpless like a child in this situation.

"Uchiha Madara and the other Akatsuki are still out there. We cannot allow them to get a hold of the Kyuubi, for if they do, it will be the end of us all."

_'I can't- no I WON'T let him be killed. I have to get him to come back.' _Sasuke silently mused before asking.

"Hokage-sama, give me two weeks. I'll try everything within my power to bring him back."

Tsunade was more than happy to give him that time.

"Permission granted. But make it fast Sasuke and if he won't come back then you know what you have to do. As it is right now, I have to send out at least one ANBU team to try and find him to placate and appease the Council."

"I don't know if that's wise Lady Tsunade? If pushed too far then Naruto may just kill the ANBU squad if they find him before I do."

"Perhaps, this is why I'm going to send the ANBU team ISC."

"It's still a risk given Naruto's…..past relationship with one of them."

"I know, but I'm counting on that past relationship to keep Naruto in check if they do find him before you do. This is why you need to find him first Sasuke."

"Hai, Lady Tsunade." Sasuke quickly replied before vanishing in a swirl of leaves.

Only then, when she was certain that she was alone, did Tsunade burst out into tears, anguished at what she had just ordered the sobs wracking her body as she let the water flow freely. What an age they lived in when the young were forced to die before they ever got a chance to grow old, as she stammered.

"Naruto...I'm, I'm so sorry..."

However, unbeknownst to Tsunade A young woman with lavender-colored eyes had come by to drop off the daily hospital reports on the patients currently treated and had heard the entire conversation between the blonde Hokage and Sasuke. With tears streaming down her face to match Tsunade's Hinata Inuzuka ran out of the waiting room outside the Hokage's office. The former Hyuga heiress had just made a decision and soon Naruto would not be only Leaf shinobi listed as a missing nin before the day was through.

**(End of Flashback)**

Naruto felt a smile tug at his lips, as he stepped off the bridge and inhaled the deep sea salt air of the ocean. And when he looked around the island his eyes widened a bit, as he saw that over the past few years the Wave Country had prospered into respectable community that was bustling with life.

Naruto turned around to look back at the mainland and when he did he spied the sign that that was hung just over the bridge. Upon closer inspection of it, he felt tears of pride begin to well in his eyes.

'They named it after me, I'll be damned.' Naruto thought to himself as he read the sign.

_**The Great Naruto Bridge.**_

_**Built in honor of the hero who helped free us from oppression and gave us our courage, our faith, and our lives back to us. He will always be welcomed here, for as long as he wishes to grace us with his noble presence.**_

Then he calmly walked off the bridge, making his way to the one place he needed to go.

Tazuna nearly fell out of his easy chair, as a now teenage Inari burst through the door, slamming it against the wall and nearly giving the aged man a heart attack from the ruckus his grandson had created. Inari now had his crossbow strapped to his back, as he was clad in a white muscle shirt, and grey torn and faded jeans.

His face was alight with glee and excitement and he was impatiently tapping his foot on the wooden floor, as Tazuna recovered himself.

"Grandpa! Grandpa! Guess what?"

Tazuna groaned as he put a hand over his chest, his heart now beating like a drum.

"What's so important that you nearly gave me a heart attack? Damn it Inari, why do you have to scare me like that?"

Tazuna was too old to be spooked by most things anymore. However much to his aggravation his grandson still managed to scare the living daylights out of him on a daily basis without fail. And this time was no exception, as Inari paid him no heed to his complaints for he was visibly jumping up and down with excitement.

"It's Naruto! He's come back!"

That nearly gave the aging bridge builder another heart attack, as his eyes bugged out of his head and he exclaimed.

"WHAT? He came back ye say?"

Tazuna was out of his chair in an instant and his sandals met his feet a moment later, as he stood in front of his enthusiastic grandson, his own face now alight with happiness.

"That's wonderful news! Where is he?"

Inari now grabbed the hand of his grandfather, and roughly dragged him outside.

"C'mon! I'll take you to him!"

Naruto let out a sigh as he looked down upon the graves of both Momochi Zabuza and his protege Haku, the massive sword of the 'Demon of the Mist' now strapped to his back. It felt wrong to take the blade, it made him feel like a grave robber, but he needed it for protection and the sight of the 'Great Beheader' would give any opponent some pause before they attacked.

"Forgive me Zabuza, but I will need this and I will do your name proud with it."

As Naruto turned around, he a wind blow past him from behind and he could have sworn he heard a whispered voice say.

"Take it..."

That was all the confirmation he needed, and grasping the hilt from its place on his back, he felt the presence of Zabuza, the man even through death who had led Naruto to form his own nindo so long ago. This blade would serve him well; much like it had its former master. Naruto would honor the finely carved steel, and take good care of it.

Naruto exhaled a sigh, if he was to be hunted then he had found the means to defend himself. He would stay in the Wave for a short time until he could map out his next move. However, the blonde shinobi mused that he needed a disguise of sorts, as he thought.

'_I wonder if there's a mask maker around these parts?'_

"Naruto-niisan!"

Looking over his shoulder, Naruto felt a rare grin grow on his face, from ear to ear when he saw Inari and Tazuna racing towards him, whilst the elderly man was being pulled along by his grandson. It was an amusing sight as the aging man was visibly out of breath, as his grandson released him to race towards Naruto, who looked and was genuinely happy to see them again.

"Hey! Old man! Inari!" Naruto turned to face them fully and greeted them warmly, truly happy to see that they were alive and well. A moment later, Naruto was nearly tackled to the ground, as Inari grabbed the taller man in a big bear hug overjoyed to see his friend after so long a time.

"You came back! This is so cool!"

Naruto chuckled as he got an arm loose, and gave Inari the noogie of his life, causing him to release his friend for the bone crushing grip.

"Yow! Take it easy! You'll burn my scalp off!" Tazuna laughed as he watched the two goofing around.

"Simmer down Inari, let Naruto breathe!"

Naruto laughed as he was released, then noticed the crossbow strapped to the teens back.

"Looks like you've been practicing with that thing." Inara beamed up at his lifelong friend, and gave him thumbs up.

"I sure have, I can hit coin 50 yards every single time!" Inari proudly boasted, before the young boy noticed the massive sword strapped to the back of the ex Leaf Jounin, as well as the scratched Leaf Headband he wore now shifted to the side much like Zabuza's had been.

"Naruto-niisan, why do you have Zabuza's sword?"

Tazuna's smile collapsed into a frown, as he watched Naruto's face fall a bit as the blonde shinobi tried to explain.

"Well Inari, you see..."

However, Tazuna interrupted him and said.

"Inari, why don't you go let the townsfolk know that the Hero of the Wave has returned to visit us."

"That's a great idea grandpa; everyone will love seeing Naruto-niisan again!" Inari exclaimed before racing off. Tazuna then turned to Naruto and with a grim look on his face asked.

"You left the Leaf village didn't you?"

Naruto sadly nodded his head in confirmation.

"I can't hide anything from you, can I old man?" Tazuna shook his head as he moved his aching legs forward, and placed a hand on the shoulder of Naruto.

"You sure can't. I'm still alive for a reason. So, do you want to tell me why you left?"

"Not right now, maybe later if that's alright with you."

Tazuna nodded in understanding, but then his face lit up again, as he slapped the blond on the back jovially and said.

"That's fine, but enough of that lets go back to my place and have a welcome back party and you are the guest of honor!" Naruto felt like his old self, as he sheepishly scratched the back of his head.

"Yeah, I'd like that."

Tazuna laughed, and slapped him on the back again.

"Ah, it really is good to have the Hero of the Wave here with us again!" The bridge builder now gave him a thumbs up of his own, then did an about face, and began to lead the way down the hill strutting proudly when he saw a crowd of people with Inari at the front had assembled at the bottom of the hill. Turning his head around he shouted back to Naruto who was lagging behind.

"Well come on then, your adoring fans are waiting for you!"

The growing crowd beneath them cheered, as Naruto raised a hand in greeting and several of the more youthful teens started to chant.

"Naruto...Naruto...Naruto...!"

By the time they had come down from the hill, it had grown from a small whisper into a loud roar, and the bashful hero found himself shaking hands and answering questions with people he didn't even know.

"Thanks. No, it was no trouble at all. You're welcome."

This felt better; here he did not have to endure any anxiety, stress, or pain like he did in Konoha. Naruto knew could not stay here long, but for a moment he felt at home and at peace.

Naruto gave off a low whistle, as he peered into the distance, and saw the extent of the large crowd, which seemed to stretch on without end. He felt Inari grab his wrist, and drag him through the crowd, leading after Tazuna, who also had to struggle to get through.

"Damn, what a turnout." Muttered the missing nin, still awed that this many people would go out of their way just to see him.

Inari nodded as the crowd thickened, then thinned.

"What did you expect Naruto-niisan, you're a hero here!"

Naruto was about to reply when he suddenly frowned and looked off towards the forest about a mile away.

In the forest, a man sighed as he swept a strand of black hair away from his face, while he spied Naruto through a telescope in the crowd below. Heaving a weary sigh, he signaled his two companions to hold their position. They needed to get at Naruto when he was alone to spare any innocent civilians harm in case things went bad. So they would bide their time and wait, but one thing was for certain, as a thought went through the young man's mind.

'_Well, we've found him, I almost wish we hadn't. Damn, I have a nagging feeling that this is going to be troublesome.'_

**Author Note: **Well I hope you all enjoyed this extra bonus chapter from me posted this week. I was just blown away by so many people adding this story into their fav or story alerts categories after only a few days. Over 50 of you so far and I wanted to say thanks to all the readers for doing that. So this fast-tracked chapter posted is my way of showing my appreciation. With so many different readers the only thing I really need is more reviews so I can get an idea on how the story is progressing with all of you? They really do help an author out in knowing what people like about a story. Anyway, I should be posting the revised chapter three sometime next week. Thanks again to everyone for all of your support.

Take it easy and be good!

_**Kingkakashi**_


	3. Troubled Times Ahead

**Do I Have A Purpose Anymore?**

**Chapter 3: Troubled Times Ahead**

Tazuna and Inari were giving Naruto a tour of the town, as a crowd of people followed closely behind them. The trio walked at a leisurely pace with Naruto taking in the surrounding area with awe. Stores, hotels, and restaurants littered the main street and every building thrived with the sense of newness. There were people everywhere; eating, talking, walking, and the blonde shinobi realized that the bridge had done more than just bring commerce to this small country.

It had also brought life and hope.

Even now Naruto was surprised by how much had changed in the past few years. Gone were the dilapidated buildings and starving orphans. Gone was the silent, eerie dreariness that seemed to seep into your bones with every step. In its place was a whole new town, fresh and lively with action, exactly the way it should've been from the beginning if not for Gato's tyranny.

It took quite a bit of time to get to Tazuna's house due to the large crowd, but at last they made it and when Naruto saw the house Tazuna gave a gracious bow to him and said.

"Here we are my humble abode!"

Naruto gawked at the size of the bridge builder's home. In no way, shape, or form could the castle that stood before them be called 'humble.' The house was probably bigger than Naruto's whole apartment building, and twenty times nicer. From the outside it looked like a traditional Eastern home, complete with black-trimmed sliding doors and windows. Dozens of bushes and plants surrounded the complex and opening the black cast-iron gate fencing in the yard, Tazuna waved for him to enter.

"Come on in, no need to be shy! I've already told Tsunami that we might be having guests." Still in shock, the missing-nin walked up the long narrow pathway leading to the front door, marveling at this large palace like home before saying with wonderment.

"Whoa, how did you get such a huge place? What happened to your old house?"

The man let out a loud sigh, glancing over his shoulder at Naruto, and his tone held just a trace of regret.

"To be honest, I'd wanted to stay right where I was. However, after completing the bridge and being voted village chief by the residents, they all insisted that I move into a home _fit for my position_." The blonde nodded his head, eyes still wandering over the vast property realizing things had definitely changed since the last time he had been here.

"Tsunami, guess who's here!" Tazuna called out, unlocking and sliding open the front door to the mansion. A young, black-haired woman poked her head out from around the corner.

"Naruto-kun, you really are here!" she gasped, obviously surprised by his presence. He blinked a bit, amazed at how she still looked the same, even after these years.

"Hey Tsunami-chan, it's good to see you too."

She gave a courteous bow to him, as did he to her.

"Please, come in, I'll have some tea ready for you all in a moment." Just as quickly as she had come the brunette woman disappeared again. Naruto blinked at how fast she had moved. Tazuna noted this and gave a small shrug before commenting.

"You heard her; this way."

Tazuna then led them through the house, as Naruto took the chance to study the interior of the mansion. If it was possible, the inside was even more impressive than the outside. Large, colorful wall scrolls hung from the pristine white surface of the walls, and various pictures of Tazuna and his family sat on the smooth wooden surfaces of the tables.

Naruto recognized most of the photos from the old house, but he was surprised to see one of him, Inari, Tsunami, and the rest of Team 7 at the official finishing of the bridge party they'd held the night before their departure. He smiled sadly, as he noticed that he and Sasuke were smirking at the camera with matching grins arms hanging over each others' shoulders in a rare display of camaraderie. It was hard to believe that they'd fought to the death, not once, but twice, and that he had ended up as the one who left the village, whilst Sasuke had ended up perfectly happy and content there.

Ah, such poetic irony. He _hated_ irony.

Inari noticed this, and nudged his friend in the side, a worried expression on his face.

"Naruto-niisan, are you alright?"

Naruto blinked twice, then shrugged his shoulders and smiled, as he returned his gaze to the picture.

"Ah, it's nothing, I was just wondering when this picture was taken."

"Oh, that? I took it right before you guys left. I could get you a copy if you'd like."

The blonde shinobi gave a small sad smile, before somberly saying.

"That's alright Inari; I don't need any reminders of my past life anymore."

The young boy looked at Naruto with confusion before his grandfather's voice called out.

"Inari, why don't you go help with the preparations for the party outside in the courtyard, while Naruto and I talk for a bit."

"O-ok grandpa." Inari hesitantly replied, before looking back to Naruto who nodded his head in appreciation.

Satisfied that everything was fine, Inari sprinted away, while Naruto jogged to catch up to Tazuna. The two men walked down the corridor until they reached a large, open porch overlooking the backyard. Tazuna motioned for Naruto to take a seat on the throw pillows surrounding a low table.

"So, Naruto, what brings you back to the Wave Country?" The bridge builder asked, plopping down on the pillow at the head of the table.

Naruto gave a small sigh.

"As you said before, I've left the Leaf village."

Tazuna nodded sagely, as he took a swig from a nearby sake cup.

"Yep, but I would like to know exactly _why _you left?"

"If you're worried that I'm some sort of criminal on the run, I can assure I'm not. I left the Leaf village because, because…..things, things have changed for me over the years Tazuna-san and the changes in my life weren't as prosperous or beneficial, as they have been for you. I, I really don't want to go into details about why I left. You just have to trust me when I say that staying there brought me no joy anymore, only pain these past few years. I just don't want to hurt anymore Tazuna-san that's all, can you understand that?" Naruto said in a choked and stammering voice.

"I can understand that Naruto and I trust you. Why don't you stay here in the Wave? Everyone would love for you to call our land your new home. In fact you could stay here, we've got plenty of room and it would make Tsunami and Inari very happy if you did"

As Tazuna was making his offer to Naruto, he heard Inari shouting some unintelligible babble into the loudspeaker outside and the crowd cheered in response.

"I appreciate the offer, you have no idea how much it means to me. As much as I might want to stay here, I can't. Konoha isn't just going to let me walk away. They'll be sending ANBU squads out to hunt me down and it would only be a matter of time before they tracked me here. I won't put all of you or your home in any danger because of me. So, I'll have to be leaving again very soon."

"You can at least stay for the celebration can't you?"

"Yes, I can stay for that, but before Inari gets the party started I need to ask do you know of any good mask makers in these parts?"

Tazuna's brow crinkled in thought, as they heard more unintelligible babble from Inari outside.

"Well, there is this one guy I know and he lives on the outskirts of town, but he isn't cheap and rarely comes into town.

"Then I guess I'll have to go to him and you don't have to worry about expenses." Naruto replied with a grin, as he pulled out a large pouch of coins before adding.

"I am sorry I won't be able to stay longer old man."

Tazuna gave a small hic at Naruto's apology before smiling and declared.

"Ah, that's all right my boy! Just the fact that you have returned to visit us, is good enough for this old man! Now let's get the guest of honor to his own party!"

**(Hours later)**

The celebration was in full swing, with nearly the entire populace of the Wave Country present for the bash. Naruto leaned against the wall, quietly drinking a cup of sake, whilst a tall girl with dark hair clad in a traditional white kimono looking to be about 15 was talking to Tazuna, who looked to be getting drunk by the minute.

"Now, what's with 'The Great Naruto Bridge'? Surely this 'Naruto' didn't do anything great enough to get a bridge named after him."

"I'm quite curious about it myself." said another, this one a man, taller than the girl, and in his mid thirties with a clean shaven face, chiseled features and cold piercing black eyes. He too wore a kimono, much like that of the girl's. Although it seemed that he was ignoring them, Naruto's shinobi instincts were subtly focused on these two strangers, as the girl raised her eyes expectantly at the old man. It wasn't everyday that someone got a bridge as huge as that named after them. Tazuna laughed loudly, mouth opening wide in genuine mirth, as he gave a small hic.

"Well, it's not his physical strength that really affected our town. If that was the case, we'd have named it 'The Great Kakashi Bridge.' That was his sensei's name. Instead, it was what he did for our country emotionally that made a difference." The girl tilted her head, glancing at the man in disbelief.

"Emotionally? What the hell's that supposed to mean, you old-"

The man placed a hand on her shoulder and shot her a disapproving glare, as he gave it a squeeze.

"Suki, that is quite enough." Giving a small bow to Tazuna, he apologized.

"Gomenosai Tazuna-san, please continue."

Tazuna was more than happy to do so, as he took another swing from the bottle he held in his hand.

"Well, in a way, he united us all and gave us the strength to fight against Gato and his financial oppression. It wasn't until Naruto arrived that our town was able to flourish, and as such, the villagers and I found it fitting to name it after him. After all, the bridge is uniting us with the rest of the shinobi world."

Tazuna paused as if remembering something, before turning to the navy haired girl, who was now looking at Naruto.

"But what brings you two strangers here?" The girl blinked but the man shrugged slightly, her frown deepening by a minuscule amount.

"We are merely simple travelers passing through your fine homeland, but may I ask do you know where we could find this _Naruto_ you speak with such reverence about?"

Now Naruto was intrigued and detaching himself from the wall, he stalked over to the man, making himself known to the two strangers.

"That would be me, what about it?" The old man's smirk widened, and a mischievous glint appeared in his eyes.

"Naruto, do you know these two?"

The blond shook his head.

"I do not. Perhaps they would _introduce _themselves?"

As he said introduce, he reached behind his back for the hilt of his blade, making the unspoken threat quite obvious. The man saw it as well, and bowed deeply, the girl following suit albeit a bit reluctantly, a second later.

"Ah, so you are Naruto Uzumaki, no?"

Naruto gave a firm nod.

"You already know this. But what business do you have with me?"

He now raised himself up and the girl mimicked him giving the man beside her a glare for making her bow, but she was silent as he spoke.

"Do you remember Princess Kazahana Koyuki?"

Naruto blinked in surprise at the mention of the name and of course Tazuna took it the wrong way.

"I see Naruto's moved on from Sakura-chan. I'm glad you're seeing someone else and a princess to boot, good choice!"

The Jounin missing-nin gawked at the old man in bewilderment as he thought.

'_What the hell was he trying to imply?' _

Tazuna cackled wildly at the look of confusion on Naruto's face before saying jovially.

"Just kidding my boy!"

Luckily for Tazuna before Naruto could rake him over the coals, Tsunami chose that moment to walk into the room with their drinks.

"Oh, did I miss something?" she asked, setting the tray down on the large table before taking a place next to Naruto.

"No!" Naruto grumbled in irritation at not being able to reprimand her father for his teasing insinuations in regard to him and Princess Koyuki.

Finally the man decided to introduce himself.

"I am Asaki, and this is my niece, Suki. We bring you word from Princess Koyuki ."

Asaki then pulled out a white envelope from the large folds of his sleeve, and handed it to Naruto, who promptly opened it, as he recognized the seal of the leader of Spring Country.

"We are here on her behalf, as Princess Koyuki asked us to seek out the hero who saved her in the past and urgently requests his presence in our land once more."

He gave a small nod as he read over the letter, and looked at the pictures attached to it.

_**Naruto, **_

_**If you are reading this, then Asaki and Suki have succeeded in finding you. I'm sure you are wondering why you have been given this?**_

Naruto now looked at the pictures, and let in a sharp intake of breath, as he looked over the pictures that depicted fires, and terrible blizzards ravaging the Spring Country. And in one of those pictures he saw an all too familiar face. Even though the face was heavily scarred, he recognized it immediately, his eyes narrowing at the sight of a man brutally slaughtering a villager….. Dotou.

Now he returned to reading the letter with earnest, as he thought with alarm.

_'Oh Kami, how did he live?'_

_**Dotou is alive. He has been wreaking havoc upon our lands and we have tried all methods to rid ourselves of him. But all the other villages that we requested aid from have turned us down. Naturally, we asked the Leaf for aid, but the team they sent was never seen after they pursued my uncle. All those were sent out against Dotou either came back in a coffin or were never seen again.**_

_**Sasuke visited recently in search of you and it was then that I learned you had left the Leaf village. I don't know why you've left the Leaf village, but if you did, I am sure you had a good reason. I took a chance that you might have gone to the Wave Country remembering you telling me about your first mission as a Leaf shinobi when we both were imprisoned by Dotou years ago, before you rescued our land. This brings me to my reason for sending Asaki and Suki to you. I ask you this not as an employer, but as a friend. I ask- No I BEG of you to come to Spring country and help free us from Dotou's tyranny. Please Naruto-kun, save my people and our land once more! **_

_**Give our land hope once again as you did before.**_

_**Kazahana Koyuki **_

Naruto felt rage simmering in his body, but maintained control, as he neatly folded the letter and looked to the two messengers and calmly stated.

"No."

The two Spring representatives were taken aback.

"W-What?" Suki stammered, whilst Asaki was in a state of shock.

Naruto repeated himself and tossed them back the letter, but kept the photos.

"I said no."

Suki looked ready to go at him right then and there, but Asaki held her in check.

"Naruto-sama, why are you refusing to come to the aid of our princess? I have a boat waiting and we could be back in the Spring Country within a day."

Naruto snorted as he turned his back to them, arms crossed over his chest.

"I refuse. Now be gone, before I do something you might regret."

Asaki sighed as he looked to Suki.

"Very well then, here is the address of a boat we had ready for your use, should you change your mind, Naruto-san." The missing-nin took it, but paid them no heed.

"I won't be needing it."

Asaki sadly shook his head, as Suki venomously hissed at the stubborn nin.

"Is this the great _Naruto_, the one that our princess always spoke so highly of? I expected someone more...kind. You are not him!"

With that stinging comment, she turned and with Asaki following her stormed out the door, quietly closing it behind her.

Naruto rolled his eyes and spat as they left.

"Irritating girl, reminds me Sakura, good riddance."

Tazuna cast him a drunken glare, whilst a confused Tsunami protested against his gruff and rude response to the messengers.

"Why did you….?"

Naruto held up a hand to silence her question before he showed them the picture again and pointed to the red ring on the man's finger and said.

"The reason I refused them is because this Dotou is an impostor. The Land of Spring may be in danger, but it's the Akatsuki who are lying in wait for me. I'm not yet ready to face them, so it's best for them to think I'm not coming, then to give them a time-line and fall into the trap that is waiting there for me. I will help Princess Koyuki, but when I do I have to be ready for an all out war when I go there."

**(Hours later)**

The party had finally wound down, and Naruto knew that he could stay no longer, as the last of thee guests bid their goodbyes.

"Aww, why do you have to go, Naruto-niisan?" Inari groaned in complaint, as Naruto ruffled his spiky black hair.

"Sorry, Inari, but I've already put your family at too much of a risk." He wrapped the boy in a hug, and then did the same with Tazuna. When he came to Tsunami, he allowed the woman to give him a peck on the cheek before asking.

"Will you come back?"

He shrugged as he placed his hand on the doorknob. "Perhaps one day I can, farewell to all of you."

Then he was gone, as he walked through the door and into the night.

The old man jumped visibly at the sudden appearance of Naruto in his workshop and was about to protest when the clinking sound of a large bag of 100 gold coins hit his table silencing the mask-maker.

"Make me a mask." Naruto sternly ordered.

The old man nodded as he counted the 100 gold coins and inquired.

"Any specifics?"

Naruto handed him a design on a piece of parchment and his tone held no question as to what he wanted.

"I want it to be unbreakable, and if it can change my voice, that would acceptable also."

The mask-maker gave a low whistle as he gazed at the design.

"This is very intricate and I'll have to use my finest materials to meet your requests on the strength and voice altering capabilities."

Naruto was not in the mood for trivial details.

"How long?"

The sagely old man rubbed his chin as gave his estimate.

"12 hours, I would say should do it."

Another large bag of 100 gold coins hit his table and Naruto coolly commented.

"That's yours if you can do it six hours."

The old mask-maker nodded his head in agreement, as he knew he could produce the mask in that amount of time. He would just have to actually work at a more accelerated rate than the normal leisurely pace he took with his work. Naruto took up a seat in the corner of his shop and leaning back closed eyes, as the sound of the old man working droned on in the background.

Nearly six hours later the aged mask-maker held up the mask, and a smile was set upon his wrinkled features, as he called out.

"This is the finest piece of material I've ever crafted, go ahead lad, put it on."

Naruto took the mask and placed it over his face. He was amazed at how smooth it felt, almost as if it was a second skin. When he spoke, his voice sounded like a mix between his and the Kyuubi's.

"**Perfect, you deserve a tip." **Reaching behind his back, he now tossed the man another equally large pouch of money before adding.

"**I may require your services again later."**

The mask maker took a puff of his pipe and nodded once, as he eyed the generous sum of money he had been given this night and commented appreciatively.

"If you keep paying me like this, then I'll make masks for you and you only!"

"**A wise choice and you will tell no one of my presence here…understood!"**

The wizened mask-maker gulped nervously at the underlying tone of what would happen to him should he reveal to anyone that Naruto was here on this evening. However, his fear soon abated when more money was droppedonto the table to emphasize his point. Again the mask maker nodded in understanding.

Naruto then turned and walked out into the night, leaving the stunned man to count the generous sum of money he had been given this night.

**(Later on the road)**

The sun had just risen when Naruto stopped walking, as he felt some familiar chakra signatures.

'_I knew baa-chan would send someone, but you, why did she have to send you?'_ Naruto painfully wondered to himself.

Naruto then turned around and the mask was on his face, making his ANBU opponent pause with concern when he saw Naruto's now crystal blue eyes behind it, the whites of his eyes black where they should have been white. Seconds later, he ran through a series of hand-seals and Naruto's masked fangs curved upward in a grin, a sad grin as he found himself bound in place, unable to move.

Or so the ANBU Jounin thought, until Naruto cracked his neck from side to side, and gave a bitter laugh, opening his fangs, and making him a truly fearsome sight indeed. The blonde missing-nin then reached behind his back and pulled out his massive blade, holding it with his right hand, while leaving his other hand free to make hand seals, should he need them before remarking.

"**Shadow possession, pitiful, don't you have any better tricks than that Shikamaru?"**

The Nara gulped apprehensively, as he heard Naruto's mutated voice and saw the scratched leaf headband that was now around his neck. Shaking off his anxiety and mustering up his courage the ANBU Commander ordered with authority.

"Naruto, you're coming back to the village, don't force us to make you go back!"

Naruto slowly shook his head and unexpectedly the ANBU team suddenly found it very hard to breathe, as the air grew thick with Naruto's oppressive chakra pressure.

_'What the hell? This can't be Naruto!_' All of them thought while struggling to maintain themselves.

The missing-nin noticed the startled look on the face of his friend and gave a small chuckle as he began to swing the blade in a slow circle, smoothly and effortlessly before asking with devious mirth.

"**Well then Shikamaru, shall we begin our little dance?"**

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Author Note: **Well, if you made it this far, then congratulations for surviving the dreaded filler chapter of the story. Not very exciting I know, but necessary to set up the future storyline of the tale. I hope you all can find something positive to say about the chapter and will leave a review. If nothing else it will let me know who survived the reading and who didn't? Thanks again to everyone for all of your support and your reviews; it's much appreciated by me.

Take it easy and be good!

_**Kingkakashi**_


	4. Painful Reunions

**Do I Have A Purpose Anymore?**

**Chapter 4: Painful Reunions**

An icy breeze swept through the air and Shikamaru gulped, as he stared at the menacing mask Naruto now wore upon his face. The fearsome cover bore the look of a bone-like narrow skull with 10 red stripes spread across the top, middle, and bottom left side of his mask. The mouth of the mask appeared as a top and bottom row of elongated teeth. However, the slanted eyes of the mask are what sent a shiver down Shikamaru's back. What had formerly been the white of Naruto's eyes were now obsidian black, while in the center instead of the normal cerulean blue color now were blood red and staring back at the Nara male who asked with trepidation.

"Naruto, what have you done? Why do you look like that?"

The missing-nin gave his friend a cold stare and he stopped spinning his sword before he twisted it to the right and slammed the blade deep into the ground causing the road they were standing on to shake momentarily from the impact. Naruto then ceased the chakra pressure he was emitting that was rendering the Ino-Shika-Cho ANBU squad motionless and answered in a metallic echo of a voice.

**"I haven't done anything…..yet. And I won't if you don't force me to Shikamaru. As for why I look the way I do, I figured I needed an appearance to match how I feel. It's also a warning to everyone that Naruto Uzumaki is no longer to be fucked with anymore!"**

"We don't want to force you to do anything Naruto. If you'll just return to the Leaf village with us then everything will be less troublesome. We don't want to have to fight you."

**"I'm going to give you and your team a chance to walk away and leave me alone. That's all I want is to be left alone. If you don't take this chance to leave and try to force me to return to the village, then we will fight! And if that happens, then I cannot guarantee any of you your safety."**

Shikamaru let out a sigh, but there was a small albeit regretful look on his face that was hiding the worry and concern growing within him, as he somberly stated.

"You always were troublesome."

**"I suppose, but before we begin our little dance, I'd like to know how you found me so quickly and here of all places?"**

"It was troublesome, trying to figure out where you might have gone? The logical choices would have been Suna or the Land of Spring or any of the other places you've become a hero in the past few years. However, I know you're smart and would have already figured out those would be the first places Konoha would look. So I took a chance that you would return to the first land you ever became a hero in. No one would ever consider you returning to a land you hadn't seen in over 12 years."

**"Smart Shikamaru, very smart."**

"I'm not that smart Naruto, I just got lucky."

**"Don't sell yourself short; after all you were smart enough to get the girl from me."**

Shikamaru winced slightly upon hearing this and Ino's breath hitched in her throat and she felt tears begin to well in her eyes. For his part, Naruto remained impassive, as he watched the reactions of his former comrades. A moment later, Shikamaru pulled out a paper scroll and placed his hands onto it.

Naruto's crimson eyes narrowed, as he saw the scroll begin to glow bright white and he brusquely commented.

**"A sealing scroll, it would seem that you are serious about capturing me."**

Naruto's words were cold and harsh, but they also held a tinge of regret and for just a second, one crucial moment in time the Nara youth hesitated, as he saw the infinite pain and sorrow in the eyes of his friend and asked.

"Naruto, why did you leave?"

Naruto instantly took full advantage of his friend's hesitation and felt he had nothing to hold him back after hearing that question. In a blur of black, Naruto disappeared from everyone's sight and much like Zabuza's voice had done in the past, Naruto's voice echoed all around them as he shouted with fury and determined where to strike them from.

**"Don't ask stupid questions to which you already know the answer, some of you more than others! My soul was already dead there. It just took my mind and body awhile to realize the same. I have no place there and no desire to return to the village…..ever!"**

Then his voice took on a more malevolent tone and seconds later his chakra pressure spiked tenfold rooting the entire ANBU team in place for the second time.

In an instant Naruto appeared in front of his friend crouched down the air rippling around him from his high speed and time seemed to slow, as Shikamaru's eyes widened in horror, whilst he watched the masked nin drawing back his blade for a massive swing and he thought to himself.

_'I guess this is it.'_

Then unexpectedly, Naruto smashed the blunt end of the swords hilt into the face of his former comrade, but he tempered his blow controlling the damage so that it was just enough, to knock the master strategist out. But it still hurt and to Shikamaru it felt like a paper bomb had just gone off in his head, as his ear rang from the massive hit and he just had enough time for one thought before the blackness rushed in to claim him.

_'He wasn't trying to kill me...'_

Then the Jounin fell like a sack of potatoes hitting the dirt face-first with a soft thud. Naruto seemingly watched the whole thing with disinterest, his face still hidden behind his devilish mask. But in reality, he was concerned for the Nara, which he made evident by kneeling down to place two fingers on the neck of the unconscious Leaf Jounin.

He felt a strong and steady pulse a second later, Shikamaru would live. The Nara heir would have a headache for a day or two, but he would live and come away from this little encounter all the wiser for it. But it still saddened Naruto to hurt his friends even if in some small way some of them deserved it.

He now rose to his feet, and strapped his blade to his back and he absently commented out loud.

**"He's done."**

Unfortunately, from a distance Chouji misheard what Naruto had said and thought the blonde missing-nin had said **he's dead**. Instantly, the Akimichi heir exploded in a rage at the thought of his best friend being killed right before his eyes and screamed with malevolence and vengeance.

"Naruto you bastard, I'll kill you! Bubun Baika no Jutsu! (Partial Multi-Size Technique)"

Naruto gasped in surprise, but he had no time to move, as he felt a pair of hands from Chouji's outstretched arms grab him around his throat choking him. Naruto struggled to pry the vice-like grip away from his throat, but soon found it futile, as the hands squeezed him harder constricting his airway and making it difficult to breathe.

A deep voice thundered into his mind dripping with disdain, as the Kyuubi no Youko spoke to his host.

_**"Foolish mortal, see what your mercy towards your pathetic comrades has wrought you! You'll die at this rate, if you don't use some of my power."**_

Despite the fact that he was about to black out, Naruto managed a small grin as some blood began to leak out of his mouth. He had long ago accepted the fact that the Kyuubi would be with him until his death, and now the two had formed an uneasy alliance. The demon fox would give Naruto some of his power in exchange for his vessel allowing him later on to assume some control and satiate the demons bloodlust in killing. The agreement had served Naruto well over the past few years especially on his Hunter-nin ANBU missions where his targets were wanted dead or alive. It had earned the young man the codename Bloody Kitsune within the Hunter-nin ranks of the ANBU. For if you were a dangerous missing-nin and Naruto was assigned to hunt you, he never brought anyone back alive.

'_Damn it, fine give me some power!' _Naruto silently spat within his mind.

The deep resonating laugh of the Kyuubi echoed in his mind, while he received a huge influx of chakra.

Naruto immediately felt the rush of the Kyuubi no Youko's power course through his body. It almost felt as if he were drowning in a sea of raw chakra, as the glorious rush of adrenaline filled his mind and body.

Chouji frowned when he saw a red aura begin to leak out from between his tightly clenched fingers scorching them slightly, as Naruto began to snicker then laugh. Soon, the scorching sensation went from being irritating to all out burningand the Akimichi heir was forced to let go, as he felt like his hands would be burned off.

"Arrgh, damn it!"

Chouji cried out in distress, as he yanked back his hands and fell to one knee while looking at the palms of his hands revealing the skin to be slightly singed with burn marks about them. He waved the burning palms up and down hissing in pain, as the air cooled the seared skin and he thought to himself.

_'His chakra would've eaten right through my hands if I hadn't let go!'_

Then a deep voice boomed out at him and the mere sound of it sent shivers down the spine of the muscular nin.

**"Hello Chouji."**

Now he heard the dark and ominous laughter and he slowly looked up from where he crouched, and he paled as he saw the masked blazing red eyes of Naruto glaring down at him. It was then Chouji heard a crackling sound behind Naruto and noticed that three tails of red chakra had bubbled out, as his former friend loomed over him with malice in his eyes and fury in his soul.

**"So, you thought you could strangle the life out of me **_**old friend**_**!"**

The word _friend_ he added with spiteful emphasis, before he snapped his knee up and rammed it into the face of Chouji. A crunching sound the moment the knee hit signified that Naruto had broken the Akimichi heir's nose causing him to shout in pain, as blood began to leak out.

**"You wanted to kill me did you!"**

Naruto blurred away when he saw the incoming punch from Chouji, whose left hand passed through nothing but air where the missing-nin had been standing mere moments before. The Akimichi blinked, as he thought the obvious distress.

'_Where did he go?'_

The Leaf ANBU soon got his answer when he felt an elbow slam into the back of his head sending a shot of intense pain flaring through his skull.

**"Looking for me?" **Naruto deviously cackled while he watched his former friend eat dirt before groaning in pain, as his nose was broken further.

**"Get up **_**old buddy**_**; you still want to kill me now don't you?" **Naruto hissed, but Chouji made no move to rise, as he felt too weak to even move.

**"Stand up and fight!" **Naruto** s**creamed at his fallen comrade lying at his feet, but Chouji could only make a feeble attempt to rise. Try as he might the young Akimichi pushed off the ground as hard as he could, but to no avail. He was just too dazed and couldn't move properly anymore after only two Kyuubi powered hits.

Angered, the masked nin began to reach down for Chouji again to continue his attack, but a voice from behind stopped him and he looked over his shoulder.

"Naruto stop, that's enough, your fight is with me not them!"

Naruto saw Ino standing several feet behind him, her hands thrust forward in a familiar pattern. The blonde kunoichi's blue eyes were narrowed and her mouth was set with grim determination, as she spoke with as much courage and authority she could muster.

"You're coming back to the village Naruto, whether you want to or not!"

Naruto forgot about Chouji and turned his attention to Ino before lifting his head and coldly laughing out loud. Her statement didn't scare him in the least and he could hear the tinge of hesitation and fear ringing within it. Nor did Naruto fear Ino's family trademark attack of the Shintenshin no Jutsu (Mind Body Change Technique) she was threatening to unleash. Naruto knew with his speed he could easily dodge the slow moving spirit exchange technique. However, the blonde missing-nin decided why bother to dodge the attack if she chose to use it on him and mockingly said to the girl.

**"Go ahead Ino, use that technique. Jump into my mind and see what you and the others helped to create up close and personal."**

The blonde kunoichi stared at Naruto with tears streaming down her face and her arms shaking before they finally fell limp to her sides and she pleaded in a choked voice.

"Pl-please Naruto, don't do this. I'm, I'm sorry about what happened. Please just return to the village, I, I promise…"

Before Ino could even blink or finish her sentence Naruto appeared in front of her and grabbing her Jounin vest with both hands pulled her up to look directly into his glaring crimson eyes and shouted at her with fury.

**"I would think you of all people would have learned your lesson about promising me anything!"**

"Pl-please Naruto-kun, I know you're angry with me because of what I did, I, I mean about my decision, but if you give me a chance I…."

**"I gave you a chance once, I listened to your words and promises just like the other two and took them to heart. And once again I paid the price for my faith and love, but never again Ino, NEVER AGAIN!"**

A moment later a large fist impacted Naruto from behind and sent the blonde Jinchuuriki flying into a tree. Ino looked over to see Chouji panting heavily and standing shakily with his arm outstretched using his Bubun Baika no Jutsuonce again. However, before she could say or do anything a stinging laughter filled the air before she heard Naruto spat sarcastically.

**"Not very sporting of you **_**pal**_** to hit me from behind. So, you want to dance with me some more Chouji? That's fine, you want to kill me, then go for it!"**

Ino let out a shriek of both pain and fear, as she saw Naruto disappear and then reappear driving a fist into her teammate's gut. Naruto then began running circles around Chouji who was holding his bleeding nose with one hand and wildly lashing out with the other in a futile attempt to hit the speedy Jinchuuriki. Naruto was laughing like a madman and seemed to take enjoyment at Chouji's pointless attempts to hit him, as he made no effort to attack for with his speed he did not need to.

Shaking her head the Yamanaka girl immediately ran to the side of Shikamaru who was still out cold and showed no signs of waking anytime soon, as thought to herself.

_'This is bad, we're one of the top ANBU teams and Naruto still has us totally outclassed here.'_

Chouji looked to his left and then his right trying to get a bearing on the blurred streak of black swirling all around him moving faster and faster by the second. It was then Naruto mockingly asked.

**"What's wrong? Can't hit what you can't see?"**

As Ino cradled her boyfriend in her lap, she looked on in dismay, as a red claw of chakra slammed Chouji off his feet and into the air. The Akimichi youth blearily opened his eyes, and what he saw sent a chill down his spine. Naruto suddenly appeared above him, his figure outlined against the light of the sun, as he had his left leg raised up high. Then time seemed to slow, as Naruto brought his leg down and delivered a bone jarring axe-kick onto Chouji's chest that sent the Leaf Jounin rocketing down to the earth.

The Akimichi fell like a streaking comet and slammed right into the hard and unforgiving earth kicking up a large cloud of dust that covered him from view. Seconds later, Naruto descended into the dust and another loud thud was heard followed by an agonizing howl from Chouji.

Ino was shivering now, as she heard the sounds of a fight in the dust and by the way Chouji was crying out and the laughter from Naruto, the Akimichi heir was losing badly. Naruto was showing no mercy now and it was as if they were facing an entirely different person than the one they all once knew.

'_Why won't he stop?' _

Ino thought as new tears began to stream from her eyes when she heard a loud crack followed by an agonizing scream for Chouji. A moment later, he staggered out of the dust for just a second holding his right arm limp at his side. The look on his face was one of pure terror and for a second his eyes met Ino's.

"Help..."

Chouji uttered just that one word, before a claw of red chakra lashed out and pulled him back into the cloud of dirt and debris to continue his beating. Every time he cried out Ino felt like she was going to die and still he yelled louder and louder.

_'Stop...Stop...Stop!' _Ino was silently screaming to herself.

It soon became too much and she screamed.

"STOP IT NARUTO!" She shrieked, at the top of her lungs, her anguished cry piercing the air and silencing his laughter.

"If you still have any feelings left for me, please stop it!"

As if on cue, Chouji was thrown out of the dust and the bloodied and battered Akimichi skidded to a halt right in front of her still breathing, but just barely. As the dust finally settled, it revealed Naruto who had a hand on his mask and in one swift motion removed it revealing the stern chiseled features of his face.

**"Take them and leave!"** Naruto harshly ordered.

"Nar- Naruto-kun?"

**"Because of you and what we once had even if it was a lie, I will spare them. Now go before I change my mind."**

Naruto's voice was full of pain as he spoke and he slipped his mask back on, his eyes now reverting back to their cerulean blue color, as they stared briefly at Ino while the power of the Kyuubi faded away.

"Naruto-kun, please come back with me, I, I still lov…."

**"Don't say it, I've heard that lie said to me three times before and I refuse to fall for it ever again! Just leave me alone Ino, it should be easy enough for you to do. You did it two years ago, so just do it again. And tell baa-chan the same when you get back, just leave me alone, that's all I want is to be left alone." **Naruto somberly stated, before turning on his heels and walking away.

As Ino watched his figure slowly disappear down the dirt road she exhaled a heavy sob and said to herself.

"It's not a lie Naruto-kun; I do still love you, even if you'll never believe me again."

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Authors Note: **Well, there's chapter four, an exciting yet also emotional chapter**. **I do hope all of you enjoyed it. I have to say that I'm simply blown away by so many people adding this story into their fav or story alerts categories in such a short time. Over 150+ of you so far and I want to say thank you to all the readers for doing that. I'm pleased that this revised story seems to be a hit with most people. I also want to thank those readers who took the time to leave a review for the tale. They're very helpful in letting me know how the story is progressing with all of you. And they really do assist an author out in knowing what people like about a story.

If you enjoy my work, then I humbly urge you to checkout my main Naruto fictional story called **"Naruto vs. Sasuke: The Aftermath"** If you're a fan of the angst, drama, suspense, surprises, and romance I've done with this story. Then you should really enjoy reading that tale as well. It's a long read, as it's the first story I have ever written and continue to write, but it's definitely worth it if I'm to believe the reviews I've gotten on it. So please check it out when you have the chance and let me know what you think via review. Thanks again to everyone for all of your support.

Take it easy and be good!

_**Kingkakashi**_


	5. I'm a Father?

**Do I Have A Purpose Anymore?**

**Chapter 5: I'm a Father?**

As the dawn broke on a new day, Naruto awoke and his hand instantly went to the hilt of his blade when he felt a small weight on his chest. Looking down he saw young girl who was resting against him and the memories of the day before flooded his mind in a torrent of images. Absently, Naruto ran his hand over the cracked skull-like cap that adorned her head over the young girls green hair. The child in a tender moment yawned, while grabbing Naruto's black t-shirt and snuggled her face into his chest, whilst he wrapped the folds of his black traveling cloak around her. He shook his head ruefully, as it all came back to him and he thought.

'_I never thought I'd end up as a Dad when I left the Leaf village.'_

**(Flashback)**

Naruto's journey to get to where he was going was proving not to be as easy of a task as he originally thought it would be. Thanks to the attack by the Ino-Shika-Cho squad a couple of days ago. Instead of taking only two days to reach his destination was now going to take four days. Naruto was also being further delayed because everywhere he went there were bandits, thieves, and other mercenaries coming out of the woodwork trying to attack and take whatever Naruto might possess on him.

However, these rogues constantly attacking him never knew they had made the biggest mistake of their lives in doing so. Naruto actually enjoyed the brief battles with the fools that attacked him. However, they were so weak they proved little challenge if any at all to the blonde Jounin and though that was displeasing, he took great pleasure in killing the imbeciles, lest they do harm to any innocents in the future. Naruto took what he could from the bodies before incinerating them with a fire jutsu he had liberated along with several other useful jutsu scrolls from the village library, before he took his leave of the Leaf.

Unfortunately, all Naruto could find amongst the now bloodied bodies he had killed were money, a few kunai, and a storage scroll that was empty. Not that it mattered; Naruto felt he could always fill it with anything he wanted given the chance or need to. Now it was quite full with money that he had taken off of several more prosperous bandits that he had first encountered, when he had set out from the Wave.

However, for now Naruto would use it by storing anything he had hunted such as a dead rabbit here and there or yesterday when he had captured a particularly stupid deer in one of his snare traps. Thanks to the storage scroll the meat would stay fresh and juicy just waiting to be cooked and eaten. The little girl stirring on his chest broke Naruto out of his musings and his thoughts turned to the events of the past couple of days.

As soon as Naruto walked a distance away from the Ino-Shika-Cho team, he quickly teleported away and upon landing promptly collapsed both physically and mentally. Physically from overexerting himself in his fight against Chouji and mentally at seeing Ino again, as it had been two years since she had betrayed his heart after being with him for a year prior. Ino, the final girl of the trinity, each of whom had taken their turns decimating Naruto's heart. Seeing her again had brought back quite a lot of pain that Naruto had hoped he could keep buried, but never could.

Doing his best to rebury his pain, Naruto trudged on and after many hours of traveling the sun would soon be setting and Naruto decided it was time to rest for the day. Walking off the trail he heard an argument taking place and sensed several low chakra signatures in a field ahead of him. Upon reaching the clearing Naruto saw that some bandits had engaged in fight with one another over some sort of dispute, though what exactly he wasn't sure.

'_The way they act like animals...sickening.' _ Naruto thought to himself, while growing both annoyed and tired of their fighting and killing of one another, as he marched towards them sword in hand.

The bickering bandits never stood a chance and it was over in an instant.

He had spared one, as this man's chakra signature was the strongest and Naruto thought he might be of use to him in the future for what he was planning for the Akatsuki. Naruto's gave the lone bandit a message along with the foreboding warning and coupled with the fact that he had been wearing his mask when he charged in out of nowhere and had easily slaughtered all of this man's comrades would ensure that his news was delivered.

"I want to meet with your boss. I know your kind and you all follow one man. Tell him that I'm looking for...employment. Give him my name. Naruto Uzumaki. If I do not hear from him or you in three days, I will PERSONALLY find you, and make your existence hell on earth."

Then, judging by the fearful look in the eyes of the bandit, he had added one last emphasis.

"And then I'll go after your wife."

Needless to say, it had achieved the desired effect, as the tan muscle bound man had gone as pale as a ghost and stammered.

"Y-You know about my Ayame?"

Naruto brought his face close now, his red and black eyes staring into the man's very soul, as his warped voice boomed out at him.

"Would you care to gamble that I do not know of her?"

The panicked bandit shook his head rapidly. He did not want to risk the life of his darling wife.

Naruto's glare bore into his brown eyes for a second longer, until he pulled away leaving a small flare in the trembling palms of the man, who instinctively clutched the small metal rod tightly, as if he thought the small device would shelter him.

"You seem to be a notch above your usual bandit." Naruto proclaimed in a mocking tone of voice. Testing the man to see if he could provoke a fight he then added.

"You actually do have a brain."

Anger flashed momentarily through the eyes of the bandit, but he controlled himself and did not make any move of aggression knowing if he did this demonic being of a man could kill him in an instant.

'_It would seem that he wants to live…good.'_ Naruto thought to himself before he gestured to the flare in the man's hand and warned.

"Don't lose that, it may cost you your life if you do. If you have news regarding your leader's response, toss that high into the air. I will see it and then you shall see meagain, understand?"

The man nodded slowly, as he shakily rose to his feet afraid of doing something that would result in his death.

"G-Got it!" He had sputtered then took off running like the devil himself was hot on his heels.

After Naruto determined that the goon would indeed deliver his message, he had decided to camp here for the night. Seeing as the fire the bandits had started was still roaring Naruto decided he would rest a bit before looking for a spring or riverbed to wash the blood of his clothes since if he walked around smelling like blood he would have to deal with the wild animals that roamed these parts as well. Just as Naruto was sitting down and getting comfortable he heard off in the distance what sounded like a child's terrified scream.

Leaping up to his feet, Naruto focused his chakra to try and sense where the child was. After a moment, he had pinpointed her location, but there wasn't one chakra signature but two. Racing off to find out what was going on, Naruto grumbled to himself, as another distraction was something he did need at that moment. However, he knew that for as much as he had closed his emotions and heart off from people, he was not so far gone that he would let an innocent child be harmed, not if he could prevent it. Racing through the forest at lightning speed Naruto suddenly came upon a clearing and one of the most peculiar sights he had ever seen.

Out in the field ahead of him was a strange thin looking man with long greasy black hair and two horns one of which was broken protruding from his head. The man also bore some type of skull-like mask that nearly covered the entire left side of his face. The strange man also bore a huge crisscross x scar across his chest. However, the most bizarre feature of the man was the fact that he bore three stumps instead of arms on the left side of his body and two stumps on the right side. The only reason Naruto was able to deduce that the stumps had been arms was due to the fact that the middle arm remained on the right side of the man's body and was holding some type of scythe like weapon.

The blonde Jinchuuriki watched with fascination as the emaciated looking man swung his weapon downwards, as he chased after something. It was then Naruto saw what the man was chasing was a terrified little girl in a simple green gown running for her life. Naruto's eyes narrowed with rage at this and when he saw the young girl stumble and fall he disappeared with a yellow flash instantly.

"Nel, its time for you to finally die, you little bitch!" Nnoitra Gilga shouted with glee, as he swung his transformed zanpakuto in a murderous arc towards the little girl lying on the ground.

**(CLANK!)**

The sound of metal hitting metal echoed in Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck's ears, as she had closed her eyes and waited for the blow that would end her life. Tentatively opening her eyes, the little green-haired girl was greeted with a sight that confused her. There standing between her and Nnoitra was a strange man dressed in black with blonde hair and wearing a mask similar to the one atop her own head. This man also held a huge zanpakuto that was blocking Nnoitra scythe blade from descending any further. As the former Espada Arrancar #5 and the former Leaf Jounin glared at one another, both were exerting pressure against the other with their blades. Unable to overpower this blonde stranger Nnoitra hissed in anger at the man.

"I don't know who you are, but this doesn't concern you human! Leave now and I will let live!"

"Humph, brave words Spiderman or should I just call you Stumpy considering the majority of your arms have already been hacked off."

"Foolish human, let me attend to my business with that trembling little bitch behind you and once I've absorbed her powers, I'll re-grow my limbs and show you why you should have left when I offered it to you. Then I'll track down that jingle-bell haired wearing freak who did this to me and finish him off as well!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that Stumpy. I highly doubt killing a little girl is going get you what you claim. Besides, if that's what it takes for you to gain power, it's probably better that I just finish you off now."

"Fool, that little girl isn't even human, she's an Arrancar as am I and you have no idea the power we possess when we are at full strength!"

"_**He's right kit, I've heard of these Arrancar's and I can sense great power in the little girl, but it remains dormant and I don't think she knows how to access it. I'd advise not letting this guy succeed in killing her and gaining that power."**_Kyuubi's voice echoed a warning in Naruto's brain.

"I hadn't intended on letting him succeed." Naruto replied out loud.

"What?"

"Sorry Stumpy, I was talking to someone else. Anyway, back to you, I don't give a damn if that little girl is a human, an Arrancar, or whatever? I'm telling you to walk away, because I won't let you kill her. So I suggest you take up my offer or suffer the consequences."

Nnoitra's response was to leap back several feet and bring his transformed zanpakuto up into an attack position before he spat with malevolence and hate.

"Meddlesome human, I'm going to enjoy killing you!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Tell me something, you say you can re-grow your arms, but can you re-grow your head?"

"What?"

That was the last word Nnoitra was able to say before Naruto disappeared in a yellow flash and appeared in front of the startled Arrancar swinging his zanpakuto and instantly cutting through Nnoitra's scythe and his neck in one fluid motion. Nnelliel who had been watching the entire scene both in fascination and fear uttered one word in shock, as her former Espada comrades head rolled off of his body and fell to the ground.

"Nnoi…tra."

It was then that Nelliel finally succumb to the stress she had been going through and passed out much to Naruto's chagrin, as he looked down at her sleeping form and thought to himself.

'_What the hell am I suppose to do now?'_

"_**Quit whining and take her back to your camp kit. You and I both know you won't leave her out here by herself."**_

A little while later back at his camp**, **Naruto sat down on the ground with his back against a nearby tree Naruto gazed at Nnelliel sleeping peacefully on his bedroll. Meanwhile, the Kyuubi no Youko was praising the boy for his merciless slaughter of Nnoitra and was proud of the smooth and effortless grace it had been executed.

"_**Good work kit! You've done this old fox proud!"**_

Naruto just heaved a weary sigh, whilst he leaned back against the tree, resting the sore skin of his back against it.

'_It wasn't to please you damn fox, I just can't stand the thought of anyone preying upon defenseless innocent lives, not while I'm around.'_

"_**Well if you're so damn noble kit, then why are you planning on joining a group of thieves and murderers who do just that?"**_

'_Because I need an army and one hell of an army at that if I plan to go to the Land of Spring and free __Koyuki and her people from the Akatsuki. So, I need to __find some potential allies and this 'Bandit King and the men he leads I've heard so much about these past few days sound exactly like what I require to create that army.'_

"_**An interesting and creative plan, it has merit. And with any army going to battle there should be lots of blood and death, which I enjoy. I wish I could join you on the battlefield were I not sealed up in this blasted body by your father!"**_

Naruto chuckled as he threw a nearby twig into the fire, enjoying the sound of the roaring flames and the welcomed heat that it brought to him.

'_You were the one who attacked the Leaf village.'_

"_**You already know that wasn't my fault, but that damn Madara Uchiha!"**_

Naruto nodded silently in agreement and tossed more broken branches into the flames. He then checked his blade for any dents and scratches from his fights of the past few days. Looking at the firelight that reflected off of the impressive weapon Naruto realized that Zabuza's zanpaktuo was the perfect reminder of the path that he had now chosen to walk. Once he had freed the Spring Country and eliminated the Akatsuki, he would forge his own destiny and go where he pleased leaving everything else up to fate. A few hours later, Nnelliel awoke to smell of food being cooked in a pot. Sitting up and wrapping her arms around her legs she looked around with trepidation and wondered where she was.

"**Are you hungry little one?"**

Nnelliel squeaked in surprise at hearing the metallic echo of a voice and looked over to see that same mask wearing man who had save her from Nnoitra stirring a blackened pot over a fire. The little Arrancar wasn't sure about this strange man, but for some reason she wasn't afraid of him. As Naruto scooped a healthy portion of whatever he had been cooking onto a plate, he brought it over and placed it in front of Nnelliel along with a cup of water. Walking back over to the steaming pot, Naruto then dished out a portion of food for himself and sat down across from his newest companion taking off his mask and revealing his face to her before saying.

"Go ahead little one, eat. I may not be the best cook in the world, but I promise it is edible."

Nnelliel hesitated for a moment and sniffed the food carefully before deciding it was ok and grabbing a sizable chunk of the food in her cherub little hand stuffed it into her mouth causing her cheeks to comically puff out. Naruto chuckled at this sight before pointing at his fork and saying.

"No need to eat so much in one bite, you can use a fork like I do little one. Little one, I can't keep calling you that, what's your name?"

The little Arrancar in question looked up at the much larger man with curiosity, as to why Naruto asked for her name. In further response to his question she tilted her slightly to the side, as she studied Naruto's face with scrutiny.

Naruto was indeed confused about the young girl's reaction to him. For one thing, she didn't seem afraid of him or his mask and considering she had witnessed him decapitate someone. That non-reaction was indeed surprising to the blonde Jinchuuriki. However, before he could ponder about the little girl any further, Naruto heard a whispery voice one he had heard once before, the one that had told him to take up Zabuza's blade as his own. It was too soft to understand what the voice was saying, as Naruto strained to recognize them before a voice softly called out breaking his concentration.

"My name is Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, but mothe people call me Nel Tu."

"Nel Tu, that's a pretty name for a pretty girl. My name is Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze, but most people call me Naruto."

Nnelliel blushed at Naruto calling her pretty and stammered.

"You, you think I'm pretty Nar-Naruto?"

"I think you're very pretty Nel-chan, can I call you Nel-chan?"

Nnelliel nodded her head and smiled before Naruto continued on.

"Nel-chan, can you tell me where you're from and do you have any parents or loved ones who are looking for you."

A saddened forlorn visage spread across Nnelliel's face and Naruto could see tears welling in her eyes, as she answered in a choked voice.

"N-Nel is from a place called Los Noches, but I don't want to go back, ith not a nice place. Nel doesn't have parenth or anyone looking for her. Ichigo, Pesche, Dondochakka, Bawabawa, they're all gone from the Arrancar war with the Toul Tociety. Nel is all alone and hath been for a long time."

Naruto could hear the same painful tone in Nel's voice that his own held when he spoke about his own loneliness and at that moment debated what he should do.

"_**Just take the kid as your own and be done with it, you aren't going to leave her alone and you know it."**_Kyuubi grumbled in annoyance.

Groaning to himself upon realizing Kyuubi was probably right, Naruto turned back to look down at the little girl and asked.

"You really don't have anyone Nel-chan?"

Nnelliel only sniffled and kept her head bowed down before softly saying.

"Nel has no one anymore."

'_What should I do?' _ Naruto thought with confusion.

Meanwhile Kyuubi had decided his vessels musings on the subject were growing quite irritating. So he took it upon himself to flash an image of Nnelliel sitting in the woods alone at night with several pairs of menacing eyes peering all around her in the dark into Naruto's mind.

'_That's a damn dirty low blow you bastard fox!' _Naruto shouted angrily within his head.

"_**Says you kit."**_

At this point Naruto exhaled a heavy sigh of resignation. The Kyuubi's little picture had done the trick and Naruto knew he couldn't just leave her here, but then again he wasn't exactly good parent material, but what choice did he have.

_'How can I be a Father to someone when I'm a kid myself? Considering what I've been doing lately and what I'm going to be doing, I'm not exactly the ideal father a girl should have.' _

"_**Come on kit show some spine. If this kid can handle seeing you lop off the head of someone and isn't freaked out by that mask you wear or the creepy voice it gives you. Then I'd say she isn't going to mind what you have planned just so long as you two are together."**_

Naruto knelt down and cupped Nel's chin so he could look at her and said with sincerity.

"Nel-chan, if you don't want to be alone anymore, you can come with me. Would you like that?"

Nnelliel looked up wide-eyed and trembled a bit, as the chance to no longer be alone excited her. She liked this Naruto and wanted to stay with him, but then she remembered Ichigo and the others she had lost and suddenly grew scared at the prospect of losing Naruto. The blonde Jinchuuriki noticed this change in Nel's demeanor and in a comforting voice asked.

"What's wrong Nel-chan, do you not wish to be with me?"

"Nel would like to be with you very much Naruto, but Nel is tcared. What will happen to Nel if you go away like Ichigo and the otherth? Nel till misses them and if you were to go away like them Nel would be all alone once again."

"I promise you Nel-chan I won't go away like Ichigo and the others."

"You, you promith."

"The promise of a lifetime Nel, I swear."

Nnelliel smiled brightly before leaping up and hugging Naruto tightly. For the next few minutes Naruto and his surrogate daughter giggled and played before each of them yawned in perfect unison, both of their mouth's opening wide at the exact same moment. Naruto saw this and chuckled a bit, before patting the ground next to him.

"C'mere..."

**(End of Flashback)**

And that was how it happened that Naruto had gained a little Arrancar girl named Nnelliel as a daughter. As he looked down at Nel asleep and snuggling up to him in his lap, she looked quite content from what the he could determine from her happy face. However, as content as Nel was, Naruto was still worried about the situation he had gotten himself into as he thought with concern.

_'A daughter must always be protected by her Father.'_ Naruto mused, before wondering what on earth he was going to do now. Becoming a father hadn't exactly been part of is plan, and yet here he was, a single father, without any real say in the matter.

_'I don't mind taking care of her, I just don't know how?'_ Naruto thought to himself before letting out a sigh, as he closed his eyes to think only for them to open again about a minute later when he felt a tug on his shirt. He got a surprising sight as he reopened them.

The girl was now amazingly awake and with life filled eyes looking at him for attention, which Naruto didn't really know how to give since he had no experience whatsoever in being a parent.

"Are you hungry Nel-chan?" The blonde Jinchuuriki asked, before he saw a quick nod from the girl and the sound of two stomachs grumbling that made them both blush in embarrassment.

Letting out a laugh, he patted her on the head before lifting her gently off his lap as he stood up and placed her on his left shoulder before handing her a ration-bar he had scavenged off a dead bandit. Nel didn't seem to mind as she clapped her tiny hands together several times before eating the meal not minding the lack taste in her mouth, as these things were pretty bland. She also clearly enjoyed being able to see things at a much higher altitude. She now pumped a tiny fist into the air, and gave a loud declaration all her own, yet very familiar in its own right, as a certain blonde had often shouted it at the top of his lungs.

"Leth go Naruto, BELIEVE IT!"

Naruto stumbled in surprise, as he heard his own once favorite saying coming from the mouth of this little girl who he had now taken under his wing as her father. But then he calmed himself and shrugged his shoulders in amusement, before gathering his things and with Nel perched on his shoulder, set off towards the road to continue his journey once more. Naruto's new daughter was practically bouncing up and down on his shoulder with unrestrained energy, as they walked. Upon reaching the road Naruto knelt down and got into a runners crouch, before giving his daughter a quick glance and saying.

"Ok Nel-chan let's go. Hopefully we can find some place to eat soon, and with decent food."

Naruto then put his mask back on and added.

"**Hang on tight, we've lost a lot of time and I have to run fast to make up for it, ok?"**

"Okey-dokey! LETH GOOOO!" Nel eagerly replied, her eyes sparkling with life and energy, as she nodded her head in agreement.

_'She's certainly energetic.' _Naruto thought with enjoyment before he pushed off the ground with both hands and feet and sped down the road with Nel squealing with joy at going so fast and at such a height.

"YAAAAAAAAY!"

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Author notes: **Well there's chapter five, I think it's an important chapter for the story and it did require a lot of rewrite on my part from the original version. I know it took me over a month to get it to you. But I had to take a break from this story so I could get my other stories updated such as **"Naruto vs. Sasuke: The Aftermath" **I still urge all of you who are fans of this and have not checked out that story please do so. I truly believe you will enjoy reading that tale as much as you do this one. However, let's get back to this story.

Anyway, as you can see this chapter has the first major change from the original story. I wanted to keep NeonZangetsu's version of bringing a Bleach character in as Naruto's adoptive daughter. However I never felt really comfortable with Yachiru being the choice. Her pink hair I always thought would have been a daily reminder to Naruto of Sakura. Plus between the two personalities of Yachiru and Nnelliel, I prefer Nel's character using Nel doeshave it's challenges writing wise especially when she speaks, as she seems to speak with a lisp in her child form, frequently pronouncing "S"s as "T"s. I've done my best to maintain this for her character, but it's not easy, lol.

I'm still very pleased that this revised story seems to be a hit with most people. I also want to thank those readers who take the time to leave a review for the tale. They're very helpful in letting me know how the story is progressing with all of you. And they really do assist an author out in knowing what people like about a story. Thanks again to everyone for all of your support.

Take it easy and be good!

_**Kingkakashi**_


	6. A Cry for Help is Heard

**Do I Have A Purpose Anymore?**

**Chapter 6: A Cry for Help is Heard**

Naruto skidded to a halt, as he heard a voice seemingly whispering in his mind. His feet dug into the ground and kicked up a large cloud of dust causing Nel to cough, as he looked to the left and right.

"Naru-kun (cough) why did we (cough) stop?"

He looked around rapidly, as the dust began to clear. Something was present, but he could not see it only sense it.

_'Do you feel that?' _Naruto internally asked his tenant.

"**Hmm? I feel nothing, you must be paranoid kit. Perhaps we should find an inn, so you can rest yourself fully."**

Naruto shook his head, drawing a confused look from Nel as he did so, while silently declaring.

_'I don't need sleep. I'm wide awake, and someone or something is present with us.'_

"**I sense no one."**

Naruto was beginning to grow frustrated, as he could not find this strange presence that seemed to be observing him, and that he alone was aware of.

_'Well I do! Now shut up so I can concentrate on finding it!'_

The demon lord snorted in contempt before he grumbled his agreement.

"**Very well, I shall be silent for now."**

Free of any more voices in his head, the rogue nin closed his eyes and stood stone still for a moment. As Naruto concentrated, his adoptive daughter's voice began to fade into the background, as he looked about for anything out of the ordinary, not with his eyes or ears, but with his spirit. Naruto felt...something, but it was a ways off and not moving. Was it a threat? He could not be sure. But someone or _something _was there.

'_Who goes there?' _The blonde Jinchuuriki shouted in his mind.

Unfortunately, the only answer he received was nothing. This was growing tiresome and with a sigh, Naruto reverted himself back into normal vision and opened his eyes to find Nel still perched on his shoulder peering down at him, her hazel-colored eyes filled with both curiosity and concern.

"Naru-kun, are you okay?"

Naruto gave a rueful smile, as he reached up to ruffle Nel's green hair causing her to giggle.

"I'm fine Nel-Tu, I was just looking for someone."

The little Arrancar frowned at Naruto's forlorn look before leaning over and giving him a small kiss on the forehead like any good daughter would do and asked.

"Is Naru-kun lonely, does he need a wife-chan?"

Naruto nearly stumbled to the ground and blushed at his surrogate daughter's question, as he exclaimed with exasperation.

"Nel-Tu, I can't just grab a **_wife-chan_** out of the blue."

"Why not?" Was little Nel's inquisitive response.

Naruto grumbled under his breath, as a tick mark appeared on his head. Already annoyed by not being able to locate that mysterious presence he felt, Naruto accidently shouted at Nel in a fierce snarl of a voice, as he reached for his mask.

"Because that's not the way things work!"

Nel sniffled and tears began to form in her eyes causing his hand to halt.

"N-Nel didn't mean to make N-Naru-kun angry."

He mentally smacked himself across the face.

'_You stupid baka! Stupid, stupid, STUPID! Now look what you did!' _

Desperate not to make her cry, Naruto did the only think he could possibly think of, as it looked like the invisible dam that held her tears back was about to burst wide open any moment now.

So he changed the mood by reaching up to grab her and in an instant he had gotten her under the arms causing her sniffles to stop, as she wondered what he was about to do. Naruto gave Nel a wicked grin, as he did so she stuck out her tongue in response setting the stage for what he had planned.

"C'MERE YOU!" Naruto cackled, and then he was mercilessly tickling her causing the little Arrancar to squeal with laughter, as she howled with merriment.

"NARU-KUN! THAT TICKLES!"

"EXACTLY! BWHAHAHA!"

After two minutes of the torture, Naruto decided that Nel had enough and stopped his tickle attack leaving her laughter to slowly fade away, as she gasped for air. Taking a moment to catch his own breath he wondered what it was that had brought this all about in the first place. Then it hit him, like a boot to the face from Rock Lee.

Suddenly, out of nowhere he got a flashback or to be more precise, _flashbacks._ Blurred images and memories, as they roared through his head at warp speed.

**(Memory Flashback #1)**

"I'm, I'm sorry Naruto-kun, I can no longer be with you."

"What are you talking about Hinata-chan?"

"My, my father has put me into an arranged marriage; I will be getting married next week."

"Ma-married, what do you mean, with...with who?"

Hinata finally forced herself to gaze up and see the look of pain etched on Naruto's face. She reached up to touch his cheek and with tears in her eyes softly said.

"With Kiba-san."

"Kiba,….but you don't love Kiba, you love me."

"It, it doesn't matter who I love Naruto-kun."

"What do you mean it doesn't matter, of course it matters!"

"N-no, it doesn't, because next week I will be getting married to Kiba and nothing can change that."

"Of course we can change that Hinata-chan. We'll go to baa-chan Tsunade for help or we can just runaway together. But you don't have to get married to Kiba, especially when you don't love him. You don't have to do this, you love me and I love you."

Naruto looked down and saw the pained sadness on Hinata's face, before leapt into his arms and he had held her so tight, afraid to let her go, as she wept into his chest and in a choked voice said.

"I'm, I'm sorry, but Lady Tsunade can't do anything and I have to marry Kiba, I have no choice."

"You do have a choice! Why don't you stand up to father and tell him no!"

"Be-because I can't."

"WHY!" Naruto shouted in frustration with tears rolling down his cheeks, before pushing Hinata away from him.

"I'm sorry Naru-kun, I can't tell you why? I want to say no to this marriage, but I can't refuse my father on this matter."

"You mean you _**won't**_ refuse your father as always." Naruto spat with disgust.

"Please believe me Naru-kun; I do love you with all of my heart and soul." Hinata exclaimed in desperation.

"Yeah, you love me, but just not enough to refuse your father or your clan of getting married to someone else. Goodbye Hina-chan, I hope you will have a happy life." Naruto bitterly declared before he turned around and walked away leaving Hinata weeping uncontrollably on the ground.

**(End of Flashback #1)**

Naruto remembered the feelings of grief that had overwhelmed him, the pain, the loss, so much to bear, too much to remember, as he saw other images flash through his head.

**(Memory Flashback #2)**

"I love you Ino-chan! I'm sorry I wasn't able to say those words to you six months ago when you uttered them to me. I was too scared and wrapped up in the pain of what had happened with Hinata. But you asked me to give you a chance and I'm so glad I did. Being with you has saved me from the pain and despair I thought would never go away. I know this seems sudden, but you were right Ino-chan, you are the one that I can love. And I do love you, Ino-chan."

Naruto then leaned over and gently placed his soft lips against hers.

This was difficult for Ino to resist; she liked how his lips felt when it touched hers, the way it lit a fire in her soul. But she couldn't do this; she couldn't, no matter how much she enjoyed it.

"Naruto." Ino coughed out in a choked voice while breaking off the kiss.

"I'm, I'm not in love with you anymore!" She cried out, tears running down her face.

Naruto stood rigid and motionless looking at her, the hurt in evident in his voice as he found the words.

"Wh-what do you mean you don't love me anymore? You, you told me you loved me! Did, did I do something Ino-chan? Please tell me what it is and I can fix it!"

"You didn't do anything Naruto-kun. I'm, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you Naruto-kun, I still love you as a friend, but it can never be more than that.

"Why Ino-chan, please tell me why?"

"I'm in love with someone else!" Ino exclaimed, more in an attempt to convince herself rather than the now broken boy standing before her.

At that moment Shikamaru stepped out from the shadows of the trees and sheepishly walked over to stand next to the weeping kunoichi. Naruto glanced back and forth between his friend who couldn't look him in the eye and his now blonde ex-girlfriend before reaching down and placing her hand into the Nara boy's hand.

Ino was in taken aback when Naruto did this and she looked up and gasped in shock at the visage Naruto now bore upon his face. Ino gazed at Naruto and noticed a brief flicker of pain flash through his eyes, before he dropped the engagement ring onto the ground and was walking away into the night in silence.

**(End of Flashback)**

Then another image flashed across his mind, one of Sakura rushing past him towards Sasuke to attend to his injuries when he had brought the Uchiha back and fulfilled his promise to the girl.

'_**What pathetic bullshit!' **_A voice rang out inside his head, but not that of the Kyuubi. This voice was dripping with venom, and disdain, as Naruto suddenly found himself standing on a white plain. All around him were images of his time with Sakura, Hinata, and Ino flying everywhere, as if he were caught in the middle of this storm of his past

_'Who are you?' _Naruto asked, as more images of his past roared through his head.

In response a dark silhouette appeared indistinguishable at the moment, but with a dark, ominous, and deadly aura to it.

'_**I never thought sifting through your head would be such a chore. You really are an idiot at times, as your women did a number on you.'**_

Naruto frowned as he clenched his hands into fists, all the while receiving images, all of them mistakes that he had made in his past.

'_Whatever you are, why are you making me relive this?'_

An image of him letting Ino go and putting Shikamaru's hand in hers, while walking away without a word.

Screaming his fury at Sakura, before he finally snapped and went rogue.

Standing outside of the temple at Hinata's wedding, unable to object or stop the proceedings, but wanting so very badly to do so. Catching a fleeting glimpse through the window of Hinata and she of him and how her pale eyes had looked deep into his, the sadness evident within them before she turned her gaze away from his.

Grief overcame Naruto, as he placed his hands over his ears, while the voice droned on in his head.

_**'I truly am disappointed.' **_

The figure then began to take shape and Naruto nearly fell backward in shock, as it was revealed to be that of Momouchi Zabuza himself. But something was different about him. Gone was his usual outfit and harsh attitude. Now, he just seemed disappointed and sad, while as for his outfit it consisted of what appeared to be a...black kimono?

_'Are you the one who's been talking to me?'_

Zabuza snorted, and the sneer could be seen through the wrappings he wore over the lower half of his face.

_**'Oh look, we have a winner!**_

'Why are you doing this to me?' Naruto pleadingly asked.

Zabuza pointed his free hand at him, one finger jabbing the rogue nin in the chest.

_**'I let you take this weapon for your own because I remembered your will of fire from years ago when you battled me and Haku. I thought you would prove to a better master of it than I ever was. But if these little memories of your women playing you for the fool are too much for you to handle, then perhaps I may have overestimated you.' **_

Naruto's head snapped up, revealing him glaring furiously at the dead nin, and Zabuza could feel the massive killer intent directed towards him. The blonde Jinchuuriki's voice was laced with hate, sadness, determination, and so much more.

_'I may have made some mistakes with the women I've chosen to love, some really STUPID mistakes, but I've put that behind me. Right now, I have a friend who needs my help and I won't be done in by some old rotting corpse of a ninja!'_

The next words of the infamous Demon of the Mist threw Naruto off balance despite his iron determination.

'_**I'm not an old rotting corpse of a ninja; I'm the soul or spirit of that ninja. I only exist within the confines of my zanpaktou, which you now wield. Because you now hold my blade I'm able to link up with your mind alone. That's why your furry tenant and no one else in the living world can sense me.'**_

'_Then what do you want of me?'_

'_**What I want is to see my blade reach its full potential in power and I think you might have what it takes, to unlock that TRUE capabilities of my blade. You certainly show more promise in doing that than I ever did when I was alive.'**_

A second later, the blade appeared in the hand of Naruto, who spun it about and sheathed it into the strap on his back.

_'Why did you contact me like this and why the torture session of those memories?'_

'_**Because I can only contact you once before I fade away to another plane of existence. As for the memories you suffered, I needed to know if you would be mentally and emotionally strong enough to handle what is to come. To be honest, I'm still not fully convinced that you are, but I have little choice now, take this.'**_

Zabuza handed him a piece of parchment, the tan paper old and worn with age and yet somehow, it still miraculously held itself together. Gently unfolding the parchment Naruto saw it was a series of land markings and paths written out on it.

It was a...map, confused he looked up at Zabuza who began to fade away, as if beckoned by some unseen cue.

'_Oi! What's with the map?'_

_**'Listen well. Follow that map. It will lead you to an old hideaway of mine. When last I checked, it was still in pretty decent condition. You will meet a man there. Show him that blade and he will let you pass. From there on you will start your journey to unlock the power of your zanpaktou. A power you will need for your upcoming battles if you wish to save your friend.'**_

Zabuza was still fading away, as was the white plane upon which the two of them had stood. He was nearly gone now and he wasn't saying anything else. Futilely, Naruto reached out for him, but his hand passed right through the apparition, as he called out to the fading nin.

'_Hey, I've still got some questions for you!'_

However, Zabuza spirit had disappeared and his voice echoed after his now out of sight body.

_**'Those are not for me to answer, farewell.'**_

Naruto's eyes snapped open, and he sucked in a ragged breath. Nel was still talking and Naruto realized that what had seemed like minutes in speaking with Zabuza's spirit had only been a few seconds in real time. Naruto also felt something and looking down he saw it was the map that Zabuza had given him in his hand.

As the blonde missing nin stared at the piece of paper in his hand, Nel stopped talking when her intensely curious gaze now locked on the scratched headband he wore about his neck.

"Oooh, whath that?"

Naruto blinked, as he felt a tug on the headband and felt the fabric slip past his neck as it came loose, but he paid no heed to it, as he was still trying to comprehend what had just happened.

_'Only a few seconds passed here, yet it felt like I spent ten minutes, in...in...whatever that place was.'_

Nel was oblivious to her adoptive father's musings and was fixated on the shiny metal Hitai-ate she held, as she ran her hands over it lovingly like it was a new toy.

"Wow, thith is really pretty, can I keep it Naru-kun?" Hearing Nel's question brought Naruto out of his contemplation and staring down at her he soon recovered himself. Smiling as she stared hopefully up at him, Naruto knelt down and placed her back on his shoulder and said.

"Hmmm. you want to wear my headband?"

Nel nodded eagerly as she hung it down in front of his face.

"Mm-hm!" The little Arrancar answered before her face fell, as she realized something.

"But I don't know how to tie a knot?

Naruto gave a small sigh, as he took the headband from her.

"Hold still."

(One minute later)

Nel bore a sparkling smile upon her face, as her new scratched headband was shining brightly from around her throat just as Naruto had worn it. As Naruto ran down the road following the map that he had been given his surrogate daughter squealed in delight.

"This is the best, thanks Naru-kun!"

"You're welcome." Naruto mumbled, as he took a left at a nearby river running alongside the fast moving water.

"Where did we get the map?" Was yet another inquisitively curious query from Nel.

"From a friend of mine."

"When are we going to get breakfath?"

"Soon."

"How long-?"

_'Oh boy. This is gonna be a LONG day.' _Naruto silently thought, as he rolled his eyes.

As he ran into the morning light, he grinned with amusement, as his adopted daughter Nel giggled with laughter from the speed he was running and chided him on

"Faster Naru-kun! Faster!"

Naruto chuckled before some of the Kyuubi no Youko's red chakra misted about him, lending him more power and speed.

"Hold on Nel-chan, this could get a bit rough!"

The little green-haired Arrancar gripped his shoulders tightly, once more her eyes filled with eager excitement and anticipation, as the light glistened off her headband.

"YAAY! LET'S GOOOO!"

Then, as if it was even _possible_, Naruto kicked his speed up yet another notch rendering him and his new daughter a black and green blur to all that might have seen them.

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Uchiha Madara frowned as he sat in the throne room of Princess Yukia Fujikaze. It had been well over a week since the Yukia's vassals had made contact with the Kyuubi No Youko container in Wave Country according to Zetsu. However, Zetsu further reports that Naruto has yet to show up at the boat to bring him to the Land of Spring.

_'It would appear that he smelled a trap. Sly little devil...' _Madara thought to himself.

Apparently, that stupid Jinchuuriki was no longer the imbecile he once was. For if he had been then the baka should have come running here as fast as his legs or a boat could take him. Naruto had always been headstrong and should have been easy prey for the remaining members of Akatsuki to capture.

Alas, this was not so and for not the first time in his life the first Uchiha cursed himself for founding that blasted village along with the First Hokage. Apparently somewhere along the way, this stupid gaki had learned caution and now seemed to be exercising a great deal of it.

_'Looks like this won't be as easy as I thought...'_

"Don't think I've forgotten our little game, Uzumaki. You may have gotten smarter since the war, but I will have my revenge, and once I have you in my clutches…..!"

A sinister cackle escaped him, as he gazed upon the havoc that he had reeked throughout the Land of Spring, which was now covered once more in deadly blizzards, and lethal avalanches. Sooner or later he would have to come. Although the Kyuubi brat may have become wary of a trap, he would not leave a friend in need.

"…..You will perish!"

His ranting was interrupted, as he felt the presence of Zetsu behind him, causing him to pause, and stare out into the snowy night from the lone window before him.

"Yes, what is it?"

The plant man hesitated a moment before speaking, both of his halves equally fearful to deliver the news that he was about to speak. "We...

Madara cut him off, as he stamped a steel-toed boot into the icy floor of the room, cracking it, and making the base shudder ever so slightly. His back was still turned, but you didn't need to see his face to know that he was not happy.

"You lost her didn't you?"

Zetsu gave a stiff nod, and prepared himself for the worst, as he raised a hand in front of his face, to ward off a potential attack fearing that his death had come.

It never came.

"Leader-sama?" Was his nervous query, as he waited for an answer from the radically powerful Uchiha, who was not moving an inch.

"Tell Suigetsu and Deidara to continue their pursuit of her. Failure will not be tolerated. I want her found. NOW!"

The deadly tone in his voice almost made Zetsu feel sorry for the two Akatsuki members. He gave a grateful bow then turned to make his exit.

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx **

Naruto looked at the map and groaning muttered to himself..

"Go through the abandoned factory? What the hell?"

Nel seemed more excited and asked.

"Whath ith a factory?"

The scene was a gray and dreary one. A dark and abandoned factory set against the backdrop of the morning sun coated in mist. The only sign remaining of a long abandoned village that had stood quietly amongst the forest. It was peaceful despite the dull grey of the former plant, which stood out now amongst nature.

However, that tranquil peace was soon shattered, as a section of the third floor was burst open, leaving a massive hole, from which a streak of gray and yellow leapt. The figure hit the ground with a loud thud, and the sheer force of her all forced her to one knee, as she had now broken something in her left leg. She wore a ragged outfit that was in tatters and her left arm hung loosely at her side, as it had been broken before she had smashed a hole in the wall. Fear was all over her face as she pressed a glowing green hand of chakra to her twisted ankle calming the swelling, as she looked every which way, panic in her eyes.

For just a moment, she dared to hope that she had lost them,…she was wrong.

Then, as if in slow motion, two figures in Akatsuki cloaks landed behind her, unfazed from their fall, whilst she was out of breath, and badly hurt. The one who held a sword sneered down at her, as she looked over her shoulder at him, fear all over her.

"Looks like your outta luck."

The other Akatsuki member Deidara smirked, as he reached into his clay pouch.

"She was running for dear life, but it looks like her times up, huh? You gave us a lot of trouble back there."

Frightened as she was, the woman still found the nerve to spit in the face of her captor, who gave her a disgusted look, as he wiped off the saliva.

"You little bitch!" Deidara spat in anger.

Suigetsu frowned at her defiance and unsheathed Samehada. Raising the infamous sharkskin scaled blade in his hand, Suigetsu once again felt grateful that Madara had blessed him with one of the legendary Seven Swords of the Mist after its original owner Hoshigaki Kisamehad been killed during the Fourth Great Shinobi War.

The young dark-blonde woman stiffened, as she felt the rough skin of his shark like blade on her neck.

"H-Help..." She muttered weakly, but of course no one came.

Naruto's ears pricked up. "H-Help..."

Deidara laughed aloud.

"Help, who would want to help a Jinchuuriki?"

As the sword headed towards her in a downward arc and in a moment of desperation something inside of her snapped!

"GET AWAY!" She screamed.

Instantly, a blue aura surrounded her and from that cloak like chakra two tails burst forth, as her appearance became more feral, whilst the sheer intensity of her energy forced them back and away from her, as she screamed with fury at her two pursuers.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!"

But then much to her horror the blue chakra cloak flickered out a second later, as exhaustion took its toll and left her gasping for breath and barely able to stand. Looking down at her hands, she felt her brief glimmer of hope fade away along with all feeling in her legs, as her knees buckled.

"N-no!" She stammered, as she her knees hit the ground, and just barely was she able to summon enough strength to catch herself on her hand, let alone try to summon forth the chakra again. She had nothing left.

Suigetsu chuckled, as the chakra leaked into the bandages that wrapped his blade.

"Thanks for the meal." Calmly he strode forward, sword in hand.

"Now, since you won't behave, I think I need to take an arm."

Time seemed to slow, as he raised his blade up and his jagged teeth formed a cruel smile on his face.

The flow of time returned, and he swung his sword down-

The defeated woman just closed her eyes, and waited for the pain.

It never came, as she heard a fierce snarl and then a surprised cry. Fearfully, she opened her eyes and got the shock of her life.

There was a tall blonde-haired man standing before her and he was holding back the blade of Suigetsu with his own impressive sword.

An amused grin appeared on his face, while Nel watched in safety from her hiding place in a nearby tree. With his other hand, he reached across to his mask and slowly, deliberately slid it on, indicating that he was in battle mode, as he sarcastically asked in a hollow metallic echo of a voice.

**"Mind if I join the party boys?"**

The young woman was in dull shock, as a shadow clone of her savior helped her to her feet. Someone had heard her after all...

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Tsunade was horrified as she received the news from Ino and asked with disbelief.

"He knocked out Shikamaru and beat up Chouji so badly that he's now in a coma?"

The Yamanaka heiress nodded sadly, it had taken her three days to bring her injured teammates back to the Leaf village. Ino was tired metally, physically, and emotionally from this ordeal with Naruto.

"Yes." Was all Ino could softly say due to her fatigue.

Tsunade shook her head in mute shock before her gaze fell to a picture of Jiraiya and Naruto sitting on her desk, as she commented with sadness.

"He's changed these past few years, he's not the Naruto we knew, not anymore."

"Hokage-sama. I would like to request permission to pursue Naruto. I might be able to….."

Tsunade slammed her hands down upon the desk, as Ino winced from the explosive interruption.

"Absolutely not, you're part of the damn reason why he's like this! You are by no means to go after him! In fact after what's happened, I should recall Team Gai before they encounter him."

A knock was heard at the door, and she turned her wrath upon it.

"WHAT IS IT?" Tsunade roared, as she was in no mood for any pleasantries whatsoever.

An anxious ANBU burst through the door, unaware of the current situation.

Lady Hokage Tsunade, we have learned Hinata Inuzuka has gone missing and left the Leaf village within the past few days! We only learned of this when we caught several Inuzuka clan members attempting to leave the village in pursuit of her. Under ANBU questioning, her husband and the Inuzuka clan heir Kiba Inuzuka believes that she has gone off in pursuit of the missing nin Naruto Uzumaki."

For a moment nothing happened, as an eerie pall of silence fell over the Hokage's office before a shout erupted from the buxom blonde Hokage that seemed to echo throughout the Leaf village.

"WHAT!"

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Author notes: **There's chapter six up and running for your enjoyment, I hope?Once again**,** I was required to do a lot of rewriting from the original version. The first change being the elimination of the Zetsu vs OC Asaki Fujiakze husband to Yukie Fujikaze. I had already not included the husband or daughter from the original in a previous chapter. The second change was Madara's ability to track Naruto via a mystical globe. I never realized it up until now, but if Madara had the ability to always track and know where Naruto is. Then what would be the point of him and the remaining Akatsuki going to the trouble of laying a trap in the Spring Country to lure him there? The final change I made was in replacing Kisame with Suigetsu, as I want to keep some of the canon elements in place. The timeline of this story is essentially six+ years after the Fourth Great Shinobi War.

I'm still very pleased that this revised story seems to be a hit with most people. I still urge all of you who are fans of this story and have not checked out my story **"Naruto vs. Sasuke: The Aftermath" **to please do so.I truly believe you will enjoy reading that tale as much as you do this one. I also want to thank those readers who take the time to leave a review for the tale. They're very helpful in letting me know how the story is progressing with all of you. And they really do assist an author out in knowing what people like about a story. Thanks again to everyone for all of your support.

Take it easy and be good!

_**Kingkakashi**_


	7. Enter Yugito

**Do I Have A Purpose Anymore?**

**Chapter 7: Enter Yugito**

Despite the fact that his blade was being held at bay, Suigetsu was still confident that he could take this interfering little punk, as was seen by the jagged zigzag toothed grin he gave the former Leaf nin.

"So, it looks like out little Nibi vessel has a bodyguard."

Then his eyes narrowed, as he recognized the sword his potential opponent held.

"That's Zabuza-Senpai's blade! What is a peasant like you doing wielding one of the Legendary Seven Swords of the Mist? I shall kill you for taking hold of it with your lowly hands!"

Naruto shook his head in amusement, as Yugito was set down against a nearby tree by his shadow clone.

"**Lowly hands huh? Well better the blade in my hands then yours. Nope, I'm no bodyguard, I just happened to be passing through, when I came across you two ladies picking on that injured girl over there and I wondered, why are the women of the Akatsuki attacking her? So I thought I would step in and ask you Mrs?"**

'_**She's a Jinchuuriki like you kit and holds the **__**Two-tailed cat demon Nibi within her.' **_Kyuubi voiced out inside Naruto's mind.

Naruto relished the chance to blow off some steam and who better to unleash it upon then the very organization that was causing him and others like him so much grief and pain?

The death of these two would make for a fine message to send to Madara. A message that said:

**'You're next!'**

A tick mark appeared on the faces of both Suigetsu and Deidara who were not enjoying the insulting verbal jabs of their gender Naruto was saying to them, as they both angrily shouted in unison.

"We are not women!"

"**Really? Are you sure? I mean you both look like girls." Naruto commented in general surprise.**

"Well we're not!"

"**Ok, if you say so, no need to get your panties in a twist."**

Suigetsu growled in rage before retracting his sharkskin scaled blade in his hand and raised the weapon indicating he was ready for a fight.

"Wait a minute Suigetsu, I recognize this guy. He's the Nine-tails Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Youko. I haven't seen him since the war, but I'm sure it's him, Naruto Uzumaki."

"Huh, this is the guy that defeated Sasuke-sama and the leader back in the war!"

"I'm sure of it, remember Suigetsu we need this guy alive as well as the Nibi vessel. If you do manage to wound him don't make it lethal or else Leader-sama will make us pay...dearly." Deidara declared, while eyeing the rogue nin with wariness, as he did with all Jinchuuriki unless they were belly up and dead.

The former Rock nin had learned caution the hard way when Sasuke had killed him years ago. If not for the Edo Tensai technique that Madara had used to revive him, Deidara knew he would still dead. Unfortunately, Madara was not as adept with the technique as Orochimaru or his protégé Kabuto had been. If he got killed trying to take down the Kyuubi container there would be no coming back as the ancient Uchiha had warned him. Deciding that prudence was in order, he stepped back to let his hot-headed partner deal with the Jinchuuriki. _Suigetsu_ didn't seem to mind as he was focused on other matters, particularly of how Naruto had gotten a hold of that weapon.

"You have Zabuza's sword and he let you have it_?" _Suigetsu pondered in disbelief of how on earth this gaki could have obtained the sword without being cursed like most grave robbers and other thieves who had attempted to steal the blade.

_'Does that mean he's unlocked the blade!'_

Deidara was also a bit taken aback when he felt the chakra slowly rising within Naruto to unimaginable levels and thought to himself.

'_This complicates things.'_

The woman Naruto had rescued however seemed to doubt the combat ability of her savior. Using her unbroken hand, she tried to stand up only for the clone to firmly place a hand on her unbroken shoulder and hold her down thus preventing her from doing anything rash. Needless to say she protested to this, but the copy held firm easily keeping her in place despite her weak attempts to break free.

"BAKA!" She called out, drawing a look from Naruto.

"**Hmm, you say something?" **Naruto casually replied in his hollow metallic echo of a voice and with those soulless eyes of his mask staring back at her.

"RUN!" She screamed, as she saw Suigetsu raise his sword to attack.

"RUN AWAY! I'm a Jinchuuriki and I couldn't beat them! What makes you...

She froze in midsentence, as red chakra began to bubble around Naruto, and peel off sections of his exposed skin.

...Think you can win?" Was her choked murmur, as not one, not two, but FOUR tails of red chakra slowly grew out of the Kyuubi cloak that had enveloped Naruto and she silently realized.

'_He's a Jinchuuriki too!'_

Naruto raised a red thumb and for a second she could have sworn she saw him smile, even if it was behind the mask. The blonde Jinchuuriki's tone was that of a teacher lecturing an ignorant student, calm but reproachful.

"**True, but you only have the Nibi."**

Now all sections of Naruto's exposed skin had peeled away leaving his skin red, whilst oddly enough he kept his human appearance clothing intact and everything. The Leaf missing nin then took up an attack stance and although his voice was distorted, it was full of pride as well.

"**But I have the Nine-tailed Kyuubi no Youko demon and with his power there is NOTHING I cannot do, especially against such a weak opponent like her."**

A second later, he threw back his head and let out an insane cackle, all the while Samehada was on a collision course with his head swung from the right and ready to lop it off in one brutal swing.

"Either this kid has finally lost it and has gone suicidal or he actually _does_ have the power to defeat us and personally, I think it's the latter." Deidara quietly murmured to himself as he watched the battle unfold before him.

As the blow came, Naruto simply ducked and it whooshed over his head the wind current of the blow blowing his blond hair sharply to the right, as he closed the thumb into his fist.

That had been just a little too close for comfort and looking over his shoulder, narrowed his red/black eyes at the former Mist shinobi, who had now brought his blade back to the right and was ready to swing again despite the fact that his foe had dodged the first hit.

"Suigetsu, we need him ALIVE! He's no good to us if you lop off his head!" Deidara angrily shouted.

Suigetsu paid no heed to his partner, as he didn't care about the leaders plan anymore and only wanted to retrieve Zabuza's sword for himself and to kill this unworthy peasant for daring to wield the weapon in the first place.

As the battle began, rain clouds began to slowly come in, blocking off the morning sun and darkening the sky. Thunder began to rumble overhead and anyone could tell that a storm was brewing up there and it was going to be big.

Suigetsu swung his mighty and spiky looking sword around once more and everyone was astonished at the speed to which Naruto leapt over the wide swing and landed deftly on his feet..

Unfortunately for Suigetsu, he had put too much effort into that second swing, which had left his sword hanging to the left and out of the way. In other words, he had just left himself wide open. That and the speed at which Naruto had moved was so unexpectedly fast was clouding his reaction time with shock and surprise.

Years of training under a Sannin can do that to a guy.

Surprised that Suigetsu had given him an opening, Naruto was not one to pass up such an opportunity in a battle. In a flash, his sword was coming down, as his own feet hit the dirt with a small tap. In fact, he just _loved _that 'oh crap, I just screwed up and now I'm gonna bleed,' look his enemies had right before he inflicted his wrath upon them.

However, Suigetsu bore no such look, as his was more…..confident.

It was evident by the look on his face, that the former Mist nin knew he had just blundered and desperately he tried to bring his weapon about to block the incoming slash...

Too slow.

Naruto moved in the blink of an eye easily hefting his own weapon with his right hand, and slashing down on his adversary. Unfortunately, Naruto's blade passed through his opponent's entire body as it had become liquefied in nature somehow.

"Still think I'm weak?" Suigetsu hissed before he solidified and raised Samehada above his head once again and declared with laughing derision.

"Fool, you might be a better swordsman than I am, but with the….enhancements shall we say that Orochimaru did to my body. You can never kill me or even hope to hurt me unless you can figure out a way to defeat water, ha, ha ha!"

"**You have less brains then you have sword skills missy" **Naruto declared smirking at Suigetsu who looked at the blonde Jinchuuriki with confusion.

_'What is the Nine-tails planning?' _Deidara silently wondered.

The smirk on Naruto's face and his insult of his swordsmanship infuriated Suigetsu and he furiously glared at Naruto before shouting in a rage.

"Damn you to hell you bastard, when I get done with you there won't be enough of you left to stuff into a match box!"

Suigetsu then attacked once more swinging his sword at Naruto in more complex forms related to the art of swordplay, involving a series of jabs, over-swings, and under-swings.

Deidara watched on in fascination, as Naruto easily blocked or dodged all of his partner's sword strikes. This was quite entertaining for him to watch despite the predicament that his comrade seemed to be in. He didn't really care what happened to Suigetsu, as he never really liked him in the first place.

The Two-tails Jinchuuriki felt like she was going to faint, from either the pain she was in or the shock of seeing this unknown man, practically playing with the Akatsuki member when she had gone all out and not even scratched him.

It was almost enough to make her jealous as she thought.

_'And he's not even using all nine tails.'_

Naruto dodged almost every single one, almost.

The last strike Suigetsu utilized involved a wide arc of a hit that if connected would in all likely hood destroy the upper half of his opponent. Deidara however, was not thoroughly convinced that Suigetsu would win when the blow made contact with its target.

When the blow did connect with Naruto, everyone noticed that the blonde Jinchuuriki had plenty of time to dodge the strike, yet he just stood there to take the head on attack.

_'IDIOT! Is he TRYING to get killed?' _Was the prevailing thought going through everyone's mind at that moment.

But the only thing Naruto did to show he was trying to defend himself was to raise his chakra cloaked his left hand to catch the massive blow Suigetsu had unleashed. Holding onto Samehada tightly, the Leaf missing nin grinned at _Suigetsu_ almost as if he was mocking the Akatsuki member before saying in a bored tone of voice.

**"Is that it?" **Naruto commented in a bored tone of voice revealing no pain in his words, but instead of someone who was clearly unimpressed by the attack. A gnawing fear then began to grow within Suigetsu, as he realized that he might be in over his head here.

"W-What the hell?" Suigetsu exclaimed, suddenly finding himself afraid of someone other than Leader-sama when he was pissed off.

As if on cue, Naruto got nasty right then and there, as his tone hardened dripping with derision and disdain, whilst his chakra pressure suddenly flared around him causing Suigetsu and Deidara to be rooted where they stood in fear.

"**If this is all you got Suigetsu,** **then your reputation among the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist has been clearly...exaggerated!"**

Naruto then pushed the shark like blade away from him with the arm it came in contact with before slowly deepening his grip into the sword with his left hand and releasing a huge amount of killing intent that froze everyone in their place.

"**I don't like a sword that eats my chakra and pigs out on it shortly after getting a taste of what it considers a good meal. Your sword is like big dumb dog or in this case shark that can't stop eating until the food is taken away and frankly it sickens me. Do you even know the inner workings of your sword****? **Naruto asked in disgust, while pouring more chakra into the sword, but at the same time twisting it and turning it to his very whim.

"W-What are y-you doing?" Suigetsu screamed in a panic when he realized that he couldn't pry Samehada away from Naruto or even let go of the blade.

Naruto ignored his opponent's terrified question.

"**Did you know the main reason your sword can eat so much chakra is because it has its own small network of tunnels to take that chakra and circulate it around? Samehada does this to let it thin out and dissolve into the sword itself. However, just because this sword absorbs or eats' chakra, it doesn't mean the chakra can't be manipulated by the very source it came from,"**

"What, what do you mean?" stammered the now panicking Akatsuki member former Mist nin, as he felt his hand which was gripping the sword start to grow hot.

"**What it means missy is even as we speak I'm manipulating the Kyuubi's charka into your stupid sword. And as I'm sure you're starting to feel that chakra is growing quite hot in temperature."**

Suigetsu suddenly screamed out in agony and looked down to see his hand holding Samehada begin to boil and bubble, as steam began to arise from it. Even worse, the boiling effect was beginning to travel up his arm towards the rest of his body. Desperately, then former Mist nin tried to let go of the infamous sharkskin scaled blade in his hand, but to no avail as he heard Naruto say.

"**Don't bother trying to let go, the Kyuubi's chakra has locked your grip onto the sword. You know earlier you stated that I could never kill you or even hope to hurt you unless I could figure out a way to defeat water. Guess what, how about if I turn you into a cloud of steam. Does that hurt and will that kill you?"**

"ARGHHHHHHHHHH!"

A scathing cry of agony and anguish was the only answer Naruto received before Suigetsu became a unrecognizable mass of boiling water. Which quickly rose into the air as steam before dissipating in the air completely, as Samehada fell to the ground in a thud.

Naruto then turned his attention to Deidara only to find that the blonde Akatsuki member had made a hasty exit during his battle with Suigetsu. Naruto flashed a devious grin and was about to pursue the fleeing former Rock nin when he suddenly stopped and now sensed a distinct chakra signature he recognized with annoyance causing his red chakra cloak to recede back into him, as he growled out in anger.

"**You can come out teme, I can sense you now!"**

Out of the shadows stepped Sasuke Uchiha, who walked calmly towards Naruto while saying.

"Nice job with the water-freak dobe."

"**Screw your praise Uchiha, what do you want?"**

"I'm here under orders from Lady Tsunade to take you back to the village Naruto."

"**Well then you wasted a trip teme, because I'm not going back. I'm done with Leaf village now and forever."**

"Quit being unreasonable dobe! I don't know what caused you to leave the village, but you can't stay out here. Madara and the other Akatsuki members we weren't able to finish off during the war are still out there. If they get a hold of the Kyuubi no Youko, it will be the death of you and the end of us all. You need to come back to the village so we can protect you Naruto."

"**Well as you can see, I can handle the Akatsuki just fine, so I don't need the village's protection. I'll deal with Madara when the time suits me. So go back and tell baa-chan to just leave me alone!" **

"I can't do that dobe. You have only three options on this matter. One, you come back to the Leaf village with me peacefully. Two, you come back to the Leaf village with me in pieces after I get done kicking your ass. Or three you leave me no option except to….eliminate you per Lady Tsunade's decree to prevent the Kyuubi falling into enemy hands. I don't want to fight you Naruto, so please just come back with me. I'm sure whatever it is that's bothering you can be fixed. You have a lot of people back in Konoha who care about you deeply."

"**So, baa-chan actually issued the death sentence on me if I didn't return like a good little dog. How typical, someone else who supposedly loved me turning their back on me for their own selfish reasons. This is all a bunch of bullshit! If there are people back in the village who love and care about me and want me to come home, it's only because they haven't had their shot yet to tear me apart like everyone else who has professed to love me has done! Well fuck them and fuck you Uchiha, I'm not going back and that's final!"**

"Damn it Naruto, I didn't want it to come to this!" Sasuke angrily declared, before dropping into an attack stance twenty feet away from Naruto.

"**We don't always get what we want teme. A lesson you never learned being the golden boy of the village who always got everything he wanted. However, it's a lesson I learned the hard-way three times in my life!"**

Sasuke could only shake his head sadly at his friend and was about to activate his Mangekyou Sharingan when a shout rang out.

"BACK OFF ASSHOLE!"

Instantly a fiery blast of blue chakra slammed into Sasuke from behind and sent the Uchiha hurtling through the air before he crashed into a stone-wall of the abandoned factory bringing the majority of it down on top of him. Naruto looked over to see the young woman he had saved from the Akatsuki enveloped in a blue chakra shroud which resembled a cat. However, the shroud soon disappeared when he saw her fall to one knee in obvious pain and exhaustion. Rushing over to help his fellow Jinchuuriki Naruto knelt down and offered his hand to the young woman who looked up and said in desperation.

"Forget about me, go finish that guy off I knocked into the wall before he recovers! That was the last shot of chakra I had and you've got to be running low after your fight. So hurry up and go kill that asshole before he wakes up."

"**Ha, ha, ha, I can't kill the teme when he's unconscious. When we fight each other to the death it will be when we're both at full strength. He deserves nothing less than that and neither do I." **

"You're a strange Jinchuuriki. What is your name?"

"**My name is Naruto U**zumaki Namikaze, but most people call me Naruto." The blonde Leaf missing nin answered, as he removed his mask.

"Namikaze! Are you related to the Yondaime Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, Minato Namikaze?"

"He was my father."

"So your own father sealed the Kyuubi no Youko demon within you, that's incredible!"

"Yeah, it's been a barrel of laughs. So, I told you my name, what's yours?"

"I'm sorry, my name is Ni'i Yugito and as you have already figured out, I'm the Jinchuuriki vessel of Nibi the Two-tailed cat demon."

"Well Yugito, if you feel up to it, let's go track down that other Akatsuki prick who was chasing after you and give him a painful death. What do you say?" Naruto asked, while picking up Samehada before sealing the mighty sword away into a storage scroll.

"Hai, I would like that very much Namikaze-sama."

"Naruto, just call me Naruto, ok Yugito."

"Hai, Naruto-sama."

"We'll work on it. Hey Nel-chan, did you enjoy the show?"

Yugito looked up to see a little girl wearing a green dress with matching colored hair adorned with a strange looking skull-type hat atop her head sitting in the tree she had been resting against clapping and smiling at Naruto.

"You're the beth Naru-kun!" Nel giggled happily in response.

"Come on Yugito, let me introduce you Nel then we can go after Deidara and…"

Naruto stopped talking midsentence when he suddenly felt three all too familiar chakra signatures heading towards them at impressive speed. Pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration, the blonde Jinchuuriki could think of only one thing to say.

"Aw crap, not them!"

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Authors Note: **Well, there's chapter seven four, I do hope all of you enjoyed it. Once again**,** I was required to do a lot of rewriting from the original version. My apologies if the Naruto/Suigetsu fight sucked. I had a difficult time writing a battle involving a walking, talking raindrop. I have to say that I'm simply blown away by so many people adding this story into their favorite or story alerts categories in such a short time. Nearly 300 of you so far and I want to say thank you to all the readers for doing that. I'm pleased that this revised story seems to be a hit with most people. I also want to thank those readers who took the time to leave a review for the tale. They're very helpful in letting me know how the story is progressing with all of you. And they really do assist an author out in knowing what people like about a story.

If you enjoy my work, then I humbly urge you to checkout my main Naruto fictional story called **"Naruto vs. Sasuke: The Aftermath"** If you're a fan of the angst, drama, suspense, surprises, and romance I've done with this story. Then you should really enjoy reading that tale as well. It's a long read, as it's the first story I have ever written and continue to write, but it's definitely worth it if I'm to believe the reviews I've gotten on it. So please check it out when you have the chance and let me know what you think via review. Thanks again to everyone for all of your support.

Take it easy and be good!

_**Kingkakashi**_


	8. The Search for Naruto Intensifies

**Do I Have A Purpose Anymore?**

**Chapter 8: The Search for Naruto Intensifies**

Naruto knew exactly who the three guests heading towards him were and he was loath to fight them. In truth he knew he could decimate all of them quite easily, but he had no desire to do so. The blonde Jinchuuriki bore no ill will towards them other than the fact they represented the very place he was trying to get away from.

_'No, I don't want to have to hurt them. Please Kami, send them away from here!"_

However, it would seem that the great deity was ignoring his prayer, as rapid footfalls reached his Jinchuuriki enhanced ears. They were coming and they were coming fast.

"Great." Naruto hissed in aggravation, before he pulled his mask back on with a fierce tug. Reaching up he quickly placed Nel onto his shoulder while sternly saying in his mask-distorted voice.

"**Hang on Nel-chan, we've got to go and go right….now!"**

Nel pouted upon hearing this, as she wanted to play with Naruto and his new friend.

"Awww, do we have to go?"

Then Nel's Arrancar senses picked up the energy signatures of three people heading towards them and her pout quickly became a look of concern and she obediently wrapped arms around her adoptive father's neck and said.

"I'm all set Naru-kun, but what about the lady-chan here?"

Naruto turned to look at the Yugito who was struggling just to stand and with a sharp intake of breath he realized that his adoptive daughter had a strong point. He couldn't just leave her here. What if the Akatsuki came back or what if the incoming trouble decided to take her back to the village for questioning? Naruto knew in her present weakened condition she would be defenseless. But if he took her with them he would be putting her in even more danger for what he has planned. Naruto was uncertain of what to do and in deep contemplation when the Kyuubi's voice cried out in his mind.

"_**KIT! They're less than a half-mile from here and closing fast. You better decide what you're going to do quickly!"**_

_'Damn it!' _Naruto silently cussed.

As if Kami was trying to make Naruto's life more difficult the sky rumbled with thunder and a thick curtain of rain began to fall. Yugito stifled a surprise gasp when Naruto wrapped his arm around her waist and jumped straight up into the thick branches and foliage of the tree they were standing under. Setting his weary and injured fellow Jinchuuriki down on a branch next to him and then checking to make sure Nel was secure. Naruto began to lower his chakra levels to an almost imperceptible level, maintaining only enough to utilize a henge jutsu to camouflage and blend them into the tree foliage completely, as he quietly stated.

"**Nel-chan, Yugito, I need you two to remain as silent as possible."**

Nel merely nodded her head in acceptance and Yugito followed in suit, but shivered with fear at the sound of Naruto's masked voice and silently berated herself.

'_It's just a mask; quit being such a scaredy-cat.'_

"_**HEY…"**_Nibi shouted in her head in righteous indignation.

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Hinata bore a look of grim determination on her face, as she left the Wave Country following the now cold trail of Naruto in hopes that she would run into him. It had taken her longer than she would have liked to get to the Wave Country upon hearing the rumor that the hero of that country had returned there. Unfortunately, Naruto was gone by the time she had arrived and Tazuna had already passed the word around that anyone from Konoha inquiring about Naruto or his whereabouts was to be told nothing. Hinata had then spent a long and fruitless day of questioning the Wave Country inhabitants and receiving no information about Naruto. Disheartened, the former Hyuga heiress found herself at a local temple and weeping prayed to Kami to help her love Naruto.

Kami must have heard her prayer because a woman who had just entered the temple heard Hinata's heartfelt prayer and the anguished tone in which it was given. The woman walked over to console the young woman and after a few minutes of talking with one another. Tsunami realized this was not one of the people who Naruto needed protection from. Taking Hinata back to her house, the only daughter of Tazuna the bridge builder and the Wave village's current chief and leader made certain her father shared any information he had about Naruto with Hinata or there would be hell to pay otherwise. Afterwards, Hinata resumed her journey to find Naruto, as she quickened her pace and thought to herself.

_'Naruto-kun, where are you my love?'_

Gone was her usual outfit exchanged for a nondescript long black-sleeved shirt, that fit her snugly and bore a Kanji for 'Hope' on the back that Tsunami had sewn on for her. Also, she now wore long black hip-hugger pants along with knee high boots, which made her plain outfit complete. Hinata also bore a black pack now worn over her left shoulder and her Leaf headband was nowhere to be seen.

Hinata's once long indigo-colored hair had now been cut and was at shoulder length only, and tied with an orange-colored ribbon into a small ponytail. On the lower part of her face, she wore a white mask that hid the defining features of it. However, even with her face hidden except for her lavender eyes along with the alluring curves of her body, Hinata still she drew the stare of many a passerby, especially the men so great was her natural beauty.

Hinata also sported a katana blade strapped to her back as well courtesy of a Wave Country mask-maker she had questioned thanks to Tazuna's information. At first the man was reluctant to share anything, but it's amazing what a fistful of money and the threat of a juuken fist to his face unless he talked was enough to convince the old man to speak.

After that, she had trekked on with the aid of a tracking hound she had borrowed from the Inuzuka compound and they were following the scent of Naruto they had been able to detect from the mask-maker's shop. Soon to Hinata's horror she came across the scene of a battle and Naruto's scent was mingled with the unmistakable odor of blood, as was told her by said dog. Worried that Naruto had been injured, Hinata was relieved when the dog informed her that the blood came from two separate males and that there was also a scent of a female in the area as well.

_'Naruto-kun must have run into an ANBU tracking squad, as most of them are set up with two males and a female on each squad. I pray to Kami he wasn't hurt.' _Hinata thought with concern before remembering that her sudden disappearance would also have ANBU after her as she commented to herself.

"I hope I'm able to find Naru-kun, before the trackers find me."

Several hours later Hinata soon found a campsite with the rotting corpses of several men strewn about. It was a gruesome sight, but then Hinata recognized the men as part of an infamous group of thieves called the Crimson Bandits she had been hearing about during her travels. According to her canine companion Naruto's scent was intermixed with all the blood proving he had been there and most likely had been the one to dispatch these men. After milling around a bit, the tracking hound had finally picked up the scent-trail of which direction Naruto had left and then the duo was off again in pursuit.

After a short while, once again Hinata and her dog came across a scene of death. However this time it was of a single individual and by the looks of him Hinata wasn't even sure if the man was human. Aside from the fact that the man's head which was adorned with some sort of skull like mask on the left side of his face was no longer attached to his body. The most peculiar feature of the corpse was that he bore three stumps instead of arms on the left side of his body and two stumps on the right side. Also the lone remaining arm on the right side of the man's body and was holding some type of curved type of weapon.

It saddened Hinata to know that Naruto was capable of such killing, but not surprising. After all before he left Naruto had broken Hatake Sakumo the legendary White Fang and Hatake Kakashi father's record for most kills in ANBU history. It had garnered Naruto much praise and accolades throughout the village from both shinobi and civilians alike. Hinata knew that killing was a part of any shinobi's life and had accepted that long ago, but it was the brutality and viciousness of these killings that concerned her the most.

Pushing her anxiety aside, Hinata asked her canine partner how long ago Naruto had been there and was pleased to hear that she was only a day behind. Unfortunately, the hound also informed her that Naruto was no longer traveling alone. As he could detect the scent of a female intermixed with his own. Now, a new anxiety was beginning to grow within Hinata.

She was catching up to Naruto.

But what would happen when she did catch him? What would he say? What would he do? Who was this girl Naruto is with now?

The last question she had silently asked herself filled Hinata with the most dread.

Suddenly, and for some strange reason she stopped, drawing a confused look from the hound, as she gazed down at her left hand, her gaze narrowing to focus on her finger that bore the ring symbolizing her marriage to Kiba. This little gold ring had undoubtedly been part of the reason Naruto had left the village.

It had been her fault. If only she could have told Naruto the truth three years ago. Maybe there could have been a way to stand up to her father. However, Hinata knew that there was nothing she could do other than what she did back then and heaved a heavy sigh of regret and frustration. Once she caught up to Naruto she could finally tell him the truth and prayed Naruto would understand her reasons for marrying Kiba. But while Naruto may understand her reasons was no guarantee that he would still forgive her and the thought of that filled Hinata with misery and terror.

Then her thoughts turned to those of Kiba and Hinata's face took on an image of anger. She did not love him and he knew that. She loved Naruto and he knew that as well. Yet the Inuzuka heir and supposedly one of Naruto's closest friends as well as her own did nothing to stop the arranged marriage. In fact he had been as duplicitous as her father in the matter and for that she hated him. Not to even mention what a sham of a marriage it had been during these past three years. Still while Kiba and her father had been the catalyst, in the end there was only one person Hinata blamed for the marriage and her own and Naruto's pain and unhappiness.

IT WAS ALL HER FAULT!

"You stupid ring, I never want to see you again! I HATE YOU!" She hissed loudly and in one forceful movement she had plucked the ring from her finger and held it in the palm of her hand, as her body quivered with rage.

Then, spying a nearby river, she heaved the ring with all her might into its briny depths. Then there was a crack of thunder and the sky opened up in a rain as if to hide the tears streaming down her face. Hinata knew that with this rain her canine would no longer be able to track Naruto's scent. So, she now bid her tracking hound farewell, telling the dog that she could take it from here and for him to return to the Inuzuka compound.

"You have been working hard and have been most helpful."

With a grateful woof, the dog turned on its paws and headed off in the direction of the Leaf village. Hinata then turned on her heels and full of determination resumed her trek to follow the trail of her love, albeit alone from now on as she thought of Naruto. However, Hinata was not the only one who was currently thinking of the once happy and playful blonde.

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

For back in the Leaf village, a certain pink haired Kunoichi was looking with tears misting in her emerald eyes at a picture of Naruto and her. Sakura had learned of Naruto's missing-nin status when Shikamaru and Chouji had been brought into the hospital with the injuries they had suffered by his hands. She was shocked at the extent of Chouji's injuries and couldn't believe that the Naruto she knew would do that to one of his closest friends. However, Sakura then realized that the Naruto she knew was gone and the Naruto she had helped to create over the past few years, she didn't know at all.

Sakura sat upon her bed, as she gazed upon the picture and reminisced about the happier times for him and her. The photo depicted the two holding hands with Naruto smiling from ear to ear, as Sakura leaned in to give him a kiss on the cheek.

"What was I thinking? The best thing to ever happen for me and I threw him away like an idiot!" Sakura screamed at herself in self-recrimination.

That picture had been taken _**before**_ Sasuke had been brought back to the Leaf, _**before **_she had made the biggest mistake in her life in breaking Naruto's heart by choosing the Uchiha over him yet again. What's worse is that Sakura now realized that she had three wonderful years with Naruto before the blonde Jinchuuriki had brought the Sasuke back fulfilling his promise to her. And what does she do the moment that happens Sakura thought to herself.

'_I immediately go back into my 12yr old fan-girl mode and forget about everything I had with Naruto-kun because I thought Sasuke would make me the happiest woman alive.'_

"Baka!" She yelled at herself, while looking down at the photo.

Soon, tears leaked from her eyes to fall on the photo that, she was now clenching tightly to her chest, as her pink hair hung down into her face, while her body shook with sobs. Sakura was more miserable now than ever, now that she had realized that she wanted Naruto and had even broken off the engagement with Sasuke just for him. But she had been too late, years too late.

Sakura had never seen him sadder or more broken than the day that she and Sasuke had informed him of their engagement. It hurt her even worse when Naruto lashed out with such anger towards them when they had pressed the issue with him. However, the pain of that night was nothing compared to the pain she felt when Naruto had erupted out with such venom and hatred at her when she had tried to apologize to him.

Sakura remembered she was also going inform Naruto of breaking her engagement with Sasuke just to be with him. Looking back at that now, Sakura wondered how stupid she would have been had she attempted it.

She had taken his heart...and stomped on it just like she always had. Then, as her pink hair tickled her nose Sakura felt something snap inside, as she made up her mind for the last time.

Sakura wanted him,…. Naruto Uzumaki. And she would love no one else but him.

With her hands shaking from remorse, anger, and grief, Sakura dropped the photo and reached under her bed for her shinobi knapsack.

As soon as she found it, Sakura tucked the photo within the faded bag and then slinging the pack over her shoulder headed to the kitchen to get food and supplies, as she thought to herself.

'_I'm going after Naruto-kun! I'm going to prove to him how sorry I am and how much I truly love him or die trying!'_

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"They're here." Naruto quietly whispered to his two companions.

As Yugito focused her eyesight through the rain, she saw a young man appear in a flash wearing green-spandex and sporting bushy eyebrows looking around the area Naruto's battle had taken place. Wiping the rain from his eyes and blinking he saw nothing but the battered remains of an old factory and a lone tree nearby about 100 yards away. Then a male voice called out from behind the young man.

"See anyone Lee?"

The Taijutsu master frowned as he kept searching, but saw no one as he replied.

"I see no one Neji, but it is difficult for my flames of youth to see through this torrential downpour. Are you sure this is the location where you spotted all of those strong chakra signatures?"

A moment later two more people appeared. One a girl with brunette hair tied into buns on the sides of her head. While the other was a male wearing the traditional robes of the Hyuga clan who then activated his Byakugan and began scanning the area piercing through all about him, as the colors faded to gray and his vision expanded to nearly 360 degrees.

For a second, Neji paused and steeled his gaze towards the lone tree a short distance away. Naruto began to grow a little nervous before the sound of a brick falling to the ground diverted Neji's attention and he shouted.

"Over there Lee, I detect a strong chakra signature underneath that rubble."

In a moment, all three members of Team Gai were removing the bricks and stones only to discover to their surprise that the source of that chakra signature was none other than Sasuke. As Lee and Tenten were helping the Uchiha to his feet, Neji asked with disdain dripping from his voice.

"Why are you here Uchiha?"

"I'm here….Hyuga, because I'm under orders from Lady Tsunade to find and retrieve Naruto. He was here just a little while ago, but I wasn't able capture him."

"So the great Uchiha failed." Neji spat with contempt.

"I failed Hyuga because I got blindsided by a Jinchuuriki woman Naruto had rescued from a couple of Akatsuki members!"

"What happened Sasuke?" Tenten inquired trying to diffuse the tension growing between him and Neji.

"I found Naruto just as he had engaged one of the Akatsuki in battle. It was Suigetsu, my former subordinate in Team Hebi years ago. From what I could gather from the conversation during the fight was that Suigetsu and his partner Deidara were after the girl because she is Jinchuuriki. They were about to capture her when Naruto stepped in and saved her. He took out Suigetsu without too much trouble and was going to go after Deidara when the dobe sensed my chakra and called me out."

"Then what happened?"

"At first nothing, I just tried to talk him into returning to the village and told him the consequences of what might happen if he didn't. But Naruto is so full of anger and pain about Konoha and the people within it that he refused to listen and said he is done with the Leaf village now and forever. After realizing nothing I said would change his mind, I got ready to fight the dobe, but then got sucker-punched by the girl and he got away."

"It is sad that Naruto's flames of youth have been dampened over the years."

"Well, you can thank the Hyuga's slut-cousin for marrying the Inuzuka mutt and turning Naruto into the man he now Lee. The dobe should be grateful he didn't marry the tramp if her love could so easily go from him to Kiba. If Naruto had stayed with her she would have only two-timed him behind his ba….."

Sasuke never got a chance to finish his sentence when a fist impacted his nose breaking it and dropped the Uchiha to the ground. Before Sasuke could recover a hand firmly gripped the front of his ANBU vest pulling him up to look directly into Neji's enraged face, who had his fist cocked back ready to deliver another strike, as spat with malevolence at him.

"You arrogant Uchiha pig! To lay sole blame onto Lady Hinata for turning Naruto into the man he is now when you and that pink-haired bitch of yours had just as much a hand in causing Naruto pain is offensive!"

"Get your hands off of me you Hyuga freak! Sakura and I haven't done anything to Naruto!"

"Really Uchiha, well let me tell you what you and your whore did to him!"

"NEJI!" Tenten sternly shouted out stopping the young Hyuga before adding.

"Remember what Naruto asked and that you gave your word to."

After a few intense seconds passed, Neji let go of Sasuke with frustration and disgust before nodding to Tenten in understanding. However, it was not easy for the Hyuga male as hearing Sasuke lay complete blame onto Hinata for what has happened to Naruto so infuriated him he hadn't even bothered to activate his Byakugan or even deliver a juuken strike. Sasuke had merely received a straight blow to the face powered by nothing more than his rage and contempt he felt for the Uchiha. Taking a moment to calm himself, Neji glared back at Sasuke and said.

"Lady Hinata's marriage to the mongrel was a disturbing event for all of us and none more so that Hinata herself. I cannot tell you Uchiha why she went through with it, as I do not know. However I suspect that there is a reason that none of us know about for why she did? And it has nothing to do with her loving Kiba over Naruto. In fact I can assure you that Lady Hinata has never stopped loving Naruto and has suffered greatly these past three years because of it."

Naruto's face grimaced in pain as he heard Neji's words with his Kyuubi enhanced hearing. Unfortunately, he knew the truth as he had given Hinata a chance to explain why she was marrying Kiba?

Regrettably, she never did.

As Neji's words also sunk into Sasuke's head, he was about to ask why the Hyuga was placing blame on him and Sakura? However, before he could inquire further, a messenger falcon streaked down from the sky and landed upon Lee's shoulder. Tenten quickly unfurled the message attached to the bird's leg and read it.

"What does it say Tenten?"

"Lady Tsunade is recalling us from searching for Naruto. We're to report back to the Leaf village at once for further instructions."

"Very well, since we missed our opportunity to capture Naruto in the first place. We'll spend the night in that small town we passed a few miles back to get out of the rain before returning to the Leaf village. Come Tenten, Lee, I wish to get out of this interminable downpour as soon as possible." Neji ordered with authority to his two teammates.

As Lee and Tenten followed behind Neji, the kunoichi paused and turned around to ask.

"Sasuke do wish accompany us and get out of the rain?"

"No, I've got someone I need to see and they are about two day's travel from here."

"Suit yourself." Tenten replied, as she watched Sasuke leap away before running to catch up with her teammates.

Once the sound of the voices of Team Gai had finally faded away, Naruto breathed a sigh of relief, as he removed his mask and jumped down to the ground with Nel secure on his shoulder.

They were safe….For now.

Yugito jumped down from the tree and fell to one knee as she landed. It was quite evident that she was still very weak from her battle with the Akatsuki. Looking up, doe brown eyes met sapphire blue and in that instant she looked down, as he extended his hand to her, whilst Nel stared at Yugito with piqued curiosity. Hesitantly, Yugito grasped Naruto's hand and allowed him to help her to stand before she asked.

"Who were those guys?"

"I have little time so I will make this quick. Those guys were ANBU from the Hidden Leaf village and they are in pursuit of me because I'm a missing-nin from that village. Now, I could leave you here.

Naruto momentarily saw panic flash through Yugito's eyes, before it vanished and was forced down by her, as he mentally commended her for that feat.

_'She controls her emotions well.'_

"But, that would leave you easy prey to the Akatsuki, who are the ones who attacked you by the way."

"I know all about the Akatsuki, I've been their prisoner for the last eight years." Yugito spat with anger and disgust.

"**If she's been a captive of the Akatsuki, perhaps she will be of use to us. You should take her along kit and get whatever information you can from her. Plus once she's healed she could be a powerful ally since she holds the Nibi. And even you have to admit she's not bad to look at either. Perhaps you and her could even….."**Kyuubi voiced out within Naruto's mind.

'_Knock it off you perverted fox! Your other points are valid, but I'm not going to ask her to join us just so I can get laid!'_

"**Well you should kit! You've been living like a monk for the last two years ever since that blonde bitch dumped you and I'm sick of it, I want see some action!"**

'_Enough, I'm not having this conversation with you right now!' _Naruto shouted back with righteous anger before turning his attention back to Yugito.

"Well, since you know about the Akatsuki and what they do. As a fellow Jinchuuriki it would not sit well with me to leave you on your own against them."

Naruto then stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder, whilst his other went under her arms to support her.

Yugito's face blushed red at this, but it was only for the briefest of seconds and it was gone before he could notice it. Naruto was too caught up in those eyes of hers anyway. He had been staring into those deep brown pools the entire time and he felt hypnotized by her calm yet slightly nervous stare.

Naruto's next words finally got her mind working again, as shock and surprise set in.

"Care to join up with us?" Yugito's eyes widened a bit at that, but after seeing the way he had dispatched Suigetsu with less than half his true strength.

The voice of the Nibi, the Two-tailed cat demon purred her inside her mind. The tone of that cat was laced with curiosity, as which all felines were infamous for. That, and what felt like...desire?

"**I think we would be safe with this one kitten. Even though I can sense he is troubled and harboring a lot of pain and anger, he also seems to be of pure heart and if he is indeed the vessel of the Kyuubi, then perhaps we could-**

Nibi's thoughts stopped there, as Yugito forcefully protested with all her might.

_'Whoa miss pervert! Don't be getting any ideas there, I don't even know him!'_

"**That can easily be solved and you know what I mean." **Nibi seductively purred.

The sound of Naruto's voice interrupted Yugito and Nibi's conversation.

"So about my offer, interested? There's safety in numbers after all."

"Okay, if I say yes, I just have one condition." Yugito replied before she brought her face dangerouslyclose to his and Naruto blushed a bit at that. Her voice held just a hint of desire as she spoke.

"Will you treat me right, with respect I mean?"

"Of course I'll treat you with respect."

"Th-thank you Naruto-sama."

'_Again with the sama, oh well, like I said we'll work on it.'_ Naruto thought to himself before saying.

"Sure, now let's go. I have a…"

The blonde Jinchuuriki was interrupted when he heard the screeching sound of the flare, long before its ruby red light lit up the sky for miles around casting a red curtain of light about all nearby.

He stared at it for a moment, then ever so slowly, a predatory grin formed on his face. A second later, he was running towards it with Yugito in hot pursuit calling out to him, as she struggled to keep up.

"Where are we going?"

"To get me an army!"

Naruto's tone was filled with arrogant confidence, as he took to the trees all the while with Nel chatting away in his ear.

"Naru-kun, ith the cat-lady going to be living with uth from now on?"

"Hai Nel-chan, she'll be traveling with us for awhile."

"Yaaaaaaay, maybe she can be that wife-chan you need!"

The simultaneous squawk of surprise from the two Jinchuuriki could be heard for miles around.

"NANI?"

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Author notes: **There's chapter eight presented to you for your enjoyment, I hope? (Lol) Once again**,** I was required to do a lot of rewriting from the original version an additional 2500K to be precise. Now before I get skewered by some people with regards to Naruto and Yugito this chapter. I do solemnly swear that Naruto and Hinata is the main pairing and that the lavender-eyed goddess will be the #1 girl residing in his small harem. Also, you will see Naruto and Hinata reuniting very soon in the story.

Once again I wish to thank all the people adding this story into their favorite or story alerts categories in such a short time. I'm very pleased that this revised story seems to be a hit with most people. I also want to thank those readers who took the time to leave a review for the tale. They're very helpful in letting me know how the story is progressing with all of you. And they really do assist an author out in knowing what people like about a story.

This will probably be the last posting of a revised chapter for the next few weeks, as I've got to get working on the 50th chapter of my story **"Naruto vs. Sasuke: The Aftermath"** Also look for a new chapter to post for the story "**Supreme Genetics – Creation of a Bloodline"** I co-write with Hefster within the next week, hopefully. If you haven't seen that story yet and you would like to read a really good Naruto/Hinata/Sakura story, then this is the one you should checkout. According to the reviews we've gotten, it's pretty damn good. The link to the story is on my profile page and in my own opinion; the story is becoming one of the best Naru/Hina/Saku stories on this site. So if you could be so kind, please checkout both stories when you have a chance. And thank you again for all of your support.

Take it easy and be good!

_**Kingkakashi**_


	9. An Unexpected Reunion

**Do I Have A Purpose Anymore?**

**Chapter 9: An Unexpected Reunion**

The two Jinchuuriki dug their feet into the next tree branch, pushing off with massive force and soaring high above the tree-tops. Naruto then saw the clearing ahead, which the red flare seemed to be hovering over. Beneath it, in its red glare was a man, the bandit Naruto had let live to contact the bandit's leader. The man was alone and shivering inside a tent to shelter him from the rain.

' _It looks like my message was delivered after all.' Naruto thought to himself._

Even though he did not see Yugito, he knew that she too was focused on the clearing and the man inside the tent as well. For her part, Yugito cast a quick glance at Naruto and she saw a sly grin on his face. The sight of his stoic, yet strong and handsome face sent a shiver running down her spine and then throughout her entire body.

And what confused her was...

It wasn't necessarily a _bad _shiver. She actually _liked _that fierce and savage look on his face. It meant he had a firm grip of himself and that he takes no orders from anyone and would do whatever the hell he wanted. She desired that in a man. Someone who was aggressive and passionate and wasn't afraid to get their hands dirty...

Nibi noticed this as well, her tone laced with amusement, as she noticed the light blush on the face of her vessel.

**"Oh, are you getting the hot's for him kitten?" **

Yugito'sblush deepened for a moment, before she silently hissed back at her demon.

'_Shut up you stupid cat.'_

**"Don't blame me, I just call them as I see them."**

Casting another quick glance at him, she looked away before he could feel the sensation of her penetrating eyes upon him.

'_I have no idea what you're talking about.'_

However, Nel had noticed the strange glances that Yugito kept sending towards Naruto. And being an inquisitive child asked her adoptive father a question.

"Naru-kun, why doth the cat-lady keep looking at you so funny?"

A bit taken aback by this question, Naruto stammered in response.

"I, I don't know Nel-chan, I didn't know she was."

This answer did nothing to quell Nel's curiosity about the situation before her eyes grew wide as saucer plates and she gave a startled declaration.

"Oh I know what it ith! Hey cat-lady, are you still thinking about being Naru-kunth new wife-chan?"

For the second time that night, a simultaneous squawk of surprise erupted from the two Jinchuuriki and could be heard for miles around.

"NANI!"

Below, in the clearing, Daisuke, the man who Naruto had threatened with death looked up as he thought he heard a startled shout and thought to himself.

_'Hmm? What was that?'_

Daisuke wore a dark muscle shirt that fit well against his muscular frame, along with long baggy pants that were already soaked through with rain. Strapped to his back, was an enormous shuriken, easily twice the size of the one Mizuki had worn and it was apparent that only one such as he with his titanic strength could wield such a weapon.

But strength or no, he was still _very _nervous as he peeled back a strand of brown hair, long and unruly much like Kiba's hairstyle, which was now wet and soggy, as he pulled the hair away from his black eyes and he peered about into the rain, looking for any sign of the missing nin. What if he did NOT show? Leader-sama would think he had failed, and he had no desire to fail.

He HAD to show up. His very life depended on the presence of this, 'unimaginably' powerful nin he had described to his boss, who had given him the benefit of the doubt and allowed him to come back out here to extend to the man an invitation to meet him.

Or was it a he? No one had ever seen the face of the Leader, nor did they know if a woman or a man led them. He/she was always wrapped in a dark robe and wore a facemask distorting his/her voice, thus further obscuring the identity of the powerful leader of the mighty gang known only as the Crimson Blades.

But when he had mentioned the name of Naruto Uzumaki, he had visibly seen a difference in the way Leader held himself.

"I want you to bring him to me. I wish to meet him."

Thos had been the _specific _words of the leader and everyone in the Crimson Blades knew that he/she did not tolerate failure. So, for some reason, he decided to look up into the sky and just as he did he saw two black shapes in the air one of which had a _very _familiar sword strapped to his back.

'_'Is that him?'_

Something in his gut told him yes. There was no way you could mistake the dark energy that even from this distance, was emanating from him, making his blood run cold and his tan skin go pale.

'_It is!'_

With a startled yelp he leapt back, his sandals sliding in the mud and bringing him to his knees. No sooner had he moved, than, the two specks of black rocketed down to earth, one of them landing right where he had been mere seconds before, shaking the ground with the impact. As Naruto rose to his feet, his mask now donned and making him a truly fearsome sight to behold. Despite the rain that was clouding his vision, Daisuke could tell by that mask.

It was him.

Naruto's yellow black eyes bored deep into the startled black of Daisuke's, as he rose to his feet and said.

"**It's a good thing you did as you were told; I knew you were smarter than you looked. Tell me, did you set up a meeting between your boss and me?"**

"Hai Naruto-sama, my boss does wish to meet with you and has ordered me to escort you to our encampment." Daisuke humbly replied, before he noticed Nel and Yugito and asked.

"Who are the brat and the babe?"

A second later, a hand was wrapped around Daisuke's throat and he felt his large frame lifted into the air effortlessly, as Naruto growled out.

"**The brat and the babe are with me! And if I ever hear you refer to them by those names again, it will be the last words you ever speak!"**

"My-my apologies Naruto-sama." Daisuke stammered in a choked voice.

After a moment, Naruto released his hold and Daisuke fell to the ground in a heap. Rubbing his throat Daisuke looked over to see Nel sticking her tongue out at him and giving the bandit a raspberry, while Yugito glared menacingly at him. Daisuke gulped nervously, as he could feel a great power radiating off the statuesque blonde. The Crimson Blade bandit made a quick mental note of not to piss off this woman in the future. It was then that Naruto's metallic echo of a voice cut through the air once more.

"**So when do we go see this leader of yours uhhhh,…..what is your name?"**

"My-my name is Daisuke Naruto-sama and we will see the leader tomorrow, as soon as the escort squad arrives to takes us to him."

"**Very well, that works for me. My companions and I are weary and could use a good night's sleep. And it will be nice to get out of this accursed rain for awhile"**

My apologies Naruto-sama, but I did not know you would be traveling with companions since the last time I saw you. I'm afraid the tent I brought is only big enough for two people to occupy."

"**That's not a problem; Nel-chan is small and can sleep in-between Yugito-chan and myself."**

Yugito felt her cheeks blush a bit at hearing the suffix 'chan' added to her name.

"But-but where will I sleep Naruto-sama?" Daisuke questioned.

Naruto released a slight bit of killing intent and his eyes flashed from their yellow and black to crimson red before he declared in no uncertain terms.

"**You won't be needing any sleep, as you will keep watch during the night. You don't have a problem with this do you Daisuke?"**

"N-no Naruto-sama, I don't have a problem with that." Daisuke stuttered as the pressure of Naruto's killing intent made him weak in the knees.

The Crimson Blade bandit then made his way over to a tree to try and get some shelter from the rain, while Naruto and his companions entered the tent for a well-deserved rest.

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

It was late in the morning and the rain had finally ceased, as Naruto and the girls finished breakfast when the blonde missing nin sensed several chakra signatures approaching. Motioning to Yugito to be on alert and watch over Nel, he waited patiently to see who was coming. A few minutes later a voice from the forest called out in an annoyed tone.

"Is he here yet Daisuke, this demon' of yours?"

"Hai Sakaki, he's here!"

A moment later several thug like men emerged from the forest followed by a tall man with long red hair and dressed in a formal red kimono. A look of disdain marred his features, as he beheld the threesome, his arms hidden in the folds of his robe and crossed over his chest.

"So this is your demon? He looks like any other man and by the looks of him not a very strong one."

A few of the men surrounding Sakaki snickered at that comment before Daisuke shot him a glare, annoyed at the perpetual arrogance of his comrade.

"You would be wise not to make him angry, Sakaki. He took out my squad in less than a minute flat. I'm sure he would do the same to you, in _half_ the time."

Naruto arched a blond eyebrow and silently mused.

_'There seems to be some bad blood between these two.'_

Once again, the robed man known only as Sakaki, looked upon the ragtag group and now his dark eyes focused on Yugito and Nel, who stuck out her tongue at him.

"Who are these two, Daisuke made no mention them?"

Naruto finally spoke now, his voice dark and ominous as he put his mask on sending a nervous shudder through Daisuke, who had witnessed the fearsome power of this rogue nin first hand.

**"They're with me! I met them only recently, after I...dealt with your little group of bandits."**

Naruto's tone left no trace of guilt whatsoever, but still Sakaki was unfazed.

"And what make you think you are _worthy _of joining the Crimson Blades? Surely you don't think senseless slaughter will get you anywhere."

Yugito rolled her eyes, as Naruto reached for the hilt of his blade, his right hand clenching and unclenching as he did so.

'_Great, that idiot is going to piss him off and he's gonna start a fight.' _The Nibi vessel thought to herself.

But as Naruto gripped the handle, he paused, and his gaze met that of Daisuke's once more, ignoring the rant of Sakaki.

**"What did your boss say?"**

Daisuke now recovering himself, reached into the waterproof pouch he kept at his side, his hand trembling slightly from both fear and worry, as he opened the pouch and groped around for something within it.

"Leader-sama has expressed interest in you and would like to meet you, preferably in person."

**"Does that include my two comrades? I won't leave them behind."**

Daisuke paused at that and then with a sneering glance at Sakaki, shrugged his shoulders.

"Ehhh, I don't see any reason why they can't come along."

Sakaki frowned at this and spoke once more in a sneering tone.

"Wait a moment, I never gave you permission to-"

Sakaki suddenly found himself stifled, as Naruto drew his sword and held the large blade to the throat of the pale man, his eyes gleaming with murderous intent.

**"I'm growing tired of you, so silence fool, unless you wish to be deprived of your head."**

Sakaki paled even more, looking white as a ghost now.

"You, you would not dare."

**"Try me!"** Naruto hissed venomously before adding.

**"I've DARED to do a lot of things lately. One more wouldn't hurt."**

A murmur passed through the gathered thugs, as they looked from Naruto to Sakaki, as no one's ever done that to Sakaki before."

Naruto now turned to Daisuke and gave a small nod, as the muscular bandit found what he sought, a brown piece of parchment.

**"Give it to me."** Naruto sternly ordered.

Daisuke did so, tossing the wrapped box to Naruto, only for Nel to snatch it out of midair and hand it to her adoptive father instead, who still held the blade to the throat of Sakaki with murderous intent in the eyes of the robed man.

"If you kill me, Leader-sama will not allow you-"

Sakaki wasn't able to finish his sentence, as Naruto snarled and Naruto moved the blade to the left and with a hard tug in that direction whipped it around giving the man a nasty gash that traveled from his chin to his shoulder blade. Immediately, it began to bleed and with a horrified scream, the man placed both hands over it, in a vain attempt to stifle the blood loss.

**"Annoying Worm!" **Naruto hissed,as he sheathed his weapon and looked over the contents of the package he had been given.

Several of the men rushed forward to tend to the wounds of the pompous fool, who was now writhing in agony, his body convulsing on the ground wildly, as he twisted every which way in pain.

**"Your arrogance will now serve as a constant reminder. If you live through this, that scar will haunt you for the rest of your days."**

Turning to Daisuke, he saw the smirk the Crimson Bandit was leveling onto Sakaki and mentally made a note to consider recruiting this one.

**"Let's go, I don't have all day to waste with these fools. I have an errand to run first before I meet with your boss. You may accompany me if you so choose, Daisuke-san."**

But before they could make any move to set out...

It was there.

All of a sudden, right out of the blue, he felt a VERY familiar chakra signature and he hissed in surprise, just as he heard her footsteps and thought.

'_It can't be….Hinata? What the hell is she doing here?'_

Then, bursting out of the trees, the Hyuga girl made her grand entrance, sword drawn and held at the ready. But as soon as she saw him, mask and all, it dropped from her fingers, to clatter onto the muddy terrain. Her eyes grew wide with recognition, and with a sharp tug, she pulled down the mask that she wore exposing her lovely alabaster face, as she spoke with tears welling in her soft lavender-colored eyes.

"Nar-Naruto-kun? I-Is that y-you?"

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Author Note: **I'm back! Yes, I know it's been awhile, but I had to get some work done and posted on my other stories mainly **Naruto vs Sasuke: The Aftermath**. Which by the way if you haven't checked out yet, you should. If you're a fan of the angst, drama, suspense, surprises, and romance I've done with this story. Then you should really enjoy reading that tale as well. It's a long read, as it's the first story I have ever written and continue to write, but it's definitely worth it if I'm to believe the reviews I've gotten on it. So please check it out when you have the chance and let me know what you think via review.

**News:**

A couple of my readers and fine authors themselves brown phantom and Zentary have set up polls on each of their accounts asking the question.

**Who is the best Naruto fanfic writer on this site?**

They have each listed 50 authors and you're allowed to vote for 10 choices on each poll. Both authors have graciously placed my name on both polls. I humbly ask if you feel I'm worthy of being one of your 10 picks to please place a vote for me. If you haven't voted yet on these polls please do so. I thank you in advance for your support and the links to the profile pages for both brown phantom and Zentary are listed below.

brown phantom http:/www**(dot)**fanfiction**(dot)**net/u/1634435/

Zentary http:/www**(dot)**fanfiction**(dot)**net/u/2022054/

**End of News: **

Well, if you made it this far, then congratulations for surviving the dreaded filler chapter of the story. Not a very exciting chapter I know, but necessary to set up the future storyline of the tale. I hope you all can find something positive to say about the chapter and will leave a review. If nothing else it will let me know who survived the reading and who didn't? Thanks again to everyone for all of your support and your reviews; it's much appreciated by me.

Take it easy and be good!

_**Kingkakashi**_


	10. Naruto's Pain and Hinata's Resolve

**Do I Have A Purpose Anymore?**

**Chapter 10: Naruto's Pain and Hinata's Resolve**

Time seemed to stand still, as Naruto ever so slowly turned to face Hinata, his yellow eyes gleaming out from behind his mask. For her part, Hinata's eyes widened in recognition of him, her sword clattering to the ground with a clang. The arrival of the indigo-haired beauty sent a murmur through the ranks of the Crimson Blades, who briefly paused their tending of Sakaki's wound to look at the beautiful woman standing before them.

'_Whoa...Who's the babe?' _Seemed to be the prevailing thought with most of the bandits.

Daisuke was equally thunderstruck by the curvaceous beauty before him; despite the fact that she was pretty much ignoring him and everyone else present save for the blonde Jinchuuriki. Daisuke saw the pleading and loving look she was giving Naruto, but then frowned as he saw no reaction whatsoever from the rogue nin and thought to himself.

'_Does he know her? Is she going to join up too? Judging by the way she's giving him those baby doll eyes, she certainly knows him.'_

Then Sakaki was remembered, and with a regretful sigh, Daisuke ordered his bewitched men to get back to work, patching up the rather nasty gash Naruto had dealt the unfortunate man now unconscious from blood loss.

"**Daisuke, I want some privacy!" **Naruto sternly ordered.

"As you wish Naruto-sama, hurry up and move you idiots, Leader-sama won't tolerate an unnecessary death even if it's a fool like Sakaki!"

With a groan they set about moving Sakaki off into the distance, ignoring the shriek of pain from the robed man while they did so. As one man inserted a threaded needled into the bleeding wound and began to stitch it shut, threading the pointed tip in and out with slow and careful precision.

"OW! OWWWWW!"

But Hinata paid no attention to the departing gruff man, the bandits, or the wailing Sakaki, as she pulled down her own mask revealing her lovely face, which looked like that of a angel. An angel who was now seeing her first true love in a new light, a light of pure joy at seeing that he was alive and unharmed.

"Naruto-kun? Is that you?"

Hinata asked, her soft and gentle voice sending shivers through him, as he suppressed the urge to run to her, take her in his arms and hold her tight. He was forcing it down, with sheer will-power, barely rooting himself in place, as his body suppressed a shudder as well.

_'What is she doing here? She can't be here! Not now!' _

Were the thoughts that raced frantically through Naruto's mind, desperately trying to uphold his calm façade and demeanor, but secretly thankful for the mask that hid the anguish on his face.

Had his visage not been blocked, Hinata would have seen the uncertainty reflected in his eyes. She might have reacted to that and taken the initiative to hug him or even kiss him, as she had long ago to assuage his doubts and fears. If Hinata did that Naruto knew he might crumble and showing such emotions would ruin his plans and he could not allow that.

Meanwhile, Yugito eyed the strange woman warily. The former Cloud kunoichi instantly recognized the features of a Hyuga and her brown eyes filled with suspicion of the girl. However, before she could act or say anything, Nel chose that moment to speak, as she gazed at Hinata with curiosity.

"Huh? How do you know Naru-kun?"

At this, Hinata felt a small smile light her face at hearing confirmation that she had indeed found Naruto, but she could still feel the thick tension in the air.

"So it is you Naruto-kun!" Was Hinata's happy chirp, as she took a step forward.

Unfortunately, the response from the man she loved was not what she had been expecting, as she suddenly met the business end of Naruto's blade. Its deadly point held less than an inch from her face, causing Hinata to stiffen and tilt her head back a bit followed by a hesitant step backwards. Naruto had drawn his weapon at an inhumanly fast speed and was making it clear to Hinata that he saw her as an enemy.

**"You're a long way from home, what are you doing out here Inuzuka-san?"** Naruto hissed venomously, as he glared at her before adding in a spiteful tone of voice.

**"Are you here to bring me back? Here to fight me, like everyone else? Maybe you thought because of our past, that I would meekly follow you back to the village or maybe into an ambush set-up by the Anbu or perhaps your loving husband!"**

Upon hearing how he addressed her and the words he said, a chill went up Hinata's spine and a sense of guilt and pain rushed through her body. Naruto's mention of Kiba and the glare he leveled onto her even through his mask broke Hinata's heart. The former Hyuga heiress missed the way Naruto use to look at her. The way Naruto would speak softly to her when she was sad and when she was lonely. The way Naruto always supported and comforted her.

Hinata felt sick to her stomach in realizing her marriage to Kiba had forever changed Naruto. She'd always believed Naruto would forgive her and the _old_ Naruto that she used to know would have. However, this new Naruto she had helped to create was different. He wasn't forgiving, he wasn't warm, comforting, and reassuring. That meant she'd lost Naruto a long time ago. That meant Naruto had been over her for three years and had been very angry and bitter towards his thoughts on her, while she never wavered in her thoughts of love for him during that same time.

A look of sadness appeared upon her face, as she stared down his blade, her soft lavender eyes gently peering into his, as if silently trying to convey how sorry she is for hurting him before finally speaking in a voice filled with guilt and sorrow.

"Naruto-kun, if you're happy away from the village, than so am I. I would never fight you or betray you by leading you into a trap."

Naruto's hand trembled a bit at the mournful tone of Hinata's voice and like his hand; his blade also trembled causing it to lower an inch, as his resolve was beginning to waver. However, an image of Hinata's wedding day flashed across his mind and his resolve quickly hardened again, and he held his Zanbaktou firm, his soulless eyes boring into her soft and caring ones, as he angrily spat with vicious sarcasm.

"**Nice to know one betrayal is all you can inflict upon me Inuzuka-san. If you're not here to lead me back to Konoha like a puppy on a leash held by you. Then why are you here? Surely you didn't come just to exchange pleasantries with me."**

Yugito did speak now, her tone calm, yet masking the anger and confusion beneath, as she muttered under her breath.

"You know her?"

Her fellow Jinchuuriki nodded, never taking his eyes of the Hyuga, as he spoke, venom still laced in his voice.

"**Hai, I know her! At one time we once spoke of getting married, but that was before she decided to move up the social and political ladder of the Leaf village and marry the heir to one of the great clans of Konoha."**

Hinata looked down to the ground in shame, while Yugito frowned upon hearing this and becoming more vocal now asked in angered curiosity.

"Why did you leave your village anyways? Is she part of the reason?"

When he spoke, the pain was clear in his voice, dark, and deep, like the night.

"**Hai, she's part of it but not all of it. I was betrayed three times by people I loved and who professed to love me back, but they were all lies and what's worse is I…."**

Naruto paused to regain control of his emotions and a visible effort, clenching his free hand into a fist, as he added in a shaky tone of voice

"**And what's worse is I allowed each betrayal to happen like the fool I was, that's all you need to know."**

Yugito stifled a gasp at this and when she looked at him, as those normally hard and arrogant eyes were now filled with sadness and loneliness. Yugito knew that look oh too well and turned her head to gaze at Hinata with hate and anger.

Meanwhile, Nel had looked up at her adoptive father and she too noticed and felt his sadness before she instinctively jumped up onto his shoulders and hugged Naruto's head to her body. Giving him a gentle squeeze, she spoke in childlike innocence soft words to only be heard by him.

"You're not alone Naru-kun, Nel is here too now."

Naruto was at a loss for words and knew not what to say. He barely even knew this child and here she was being kind to him? He was rendered speechless by her simple words and kind gesture.

Hinata felt the killing intent Yugito was leveling on her and finally noticed the statuesque Jinchuuriki and as soon as she saw the blonde, clad in her torn and ruined outfit, she thought the worst. Naruto had already found someone.

_'Nani? Who's that? Is she.'_

Hinata dared not think the rest. Naruto snatched away from her by this gorgeous blond? The thought was too much to bear. However, as much as Hinata wanted to drive these thoughts away, Yugito's appearance did little to help in that endeavor.

The former Cloud kunoichi's outfit was indeed in tatters. The form fitting clothing had been torn and shredded at the waist, revealing her tan stomach, exposing her curves, and accentuating the dip of her waist. The lower portion of it held, fitting snugly against her rear, but as it reached her knees, it seemed that the legs of the fabric had been torn away, by a ragged edge. The upper portion of her shirt was relatively intact, but still the fabric clung tightly to her well-endowed chest that could almost rival Hinata's ample bosom.

All in all, she looked like an Amazon, fresh out of the rain forest, a goddess on earth, and here she was with HER Naruto-kun! A tick mark appeared on her head and she released her own substantial killing intent onto Yugito, as she pictured the two of them together, in all sorts of …activities.

Yugtio seemed to realize this as well, and with a 'hmmph' of disdain, her brown eyes bored into the pale lavender of Hinata's, who put her hands on her hips, as did Yugito, the two kunoichi staring down each other with fierce intent.

Hinata could see the disdain in them, held for her, as the Jinchuuriki shot her the mother of all death glares. To which the young Hyuga girl returned her own deadly glare towards the Nibi container. Just as Yugito was about to step towards Hinata, she was cut off by a glare from Naruto, which stopped her cold the sight of his yellow black gaze rendering her speechless.

**"Wait before you pass judgment. I still have questions to ask of her."**

Looking back to Hinata, Naruto reached up to his mask and removed it, giving Hinata a look at the face that she loved so very much.

Naruto lowered his blade and with a flip of his wrist tossed it up into the air. A second later, he twisted his head to the right, allowing his weapon to slide into the sheathe he wore on his back, with a loud clink. Nel was eying Hinata with intense curiosity at seeing how she affected Naruto before her eyes lit up and she asked her adoptive father.

"Ith the lady with the pretty eyeth going to be a wife-chan for you Naru-kun?"

Hinata's face turned beet red just like she when she was younger, whilst Naruto guffawed in shock for the SECOND time his energetic adoptive daughter had said such a thing.

"W-wife-chan?" Hinata sputtered, as the dream she had held for such a long time of being Naruto's wife raced through her mind once again.

A small sigh of happiness escaped her, as Nel had inadvertently brought up one of Hinata's fondest wishes. Turning around, the Hyuga girl gazed lovingly at Naruto. Unfortunately, much to her distress the look he direct towards her was cold and unyielding before he saw her right hand and the lack of something that SHOULD have been there.

"Where's your ring?" His words were a murmur, but still they were heard by Hinata, whose eyes widened, as she remembered what she had done to the small gold band.

_'Of course, how could he not notice that?'_ Hinata thought to herself before realizing this was an opportunity to make her intentions known to him, the reasons for leaving her home, to pursue him, to finally explain everything to Naruto once and for all.

Taking a step forward, then another and when he did not make any move to draw his weapon, she steadied her pace and kept striding across the muddy terrain until she was less than a foot away from him, her eyes gazing deep into his, as she looked up at him.

"I threw it away!" Hinata sternly declared without hesitation before she saw him stiffen, and knew that she had now crossed the point of no return.

Now she HAD to continue lest Yugito do something, or she falter in her resolve.

"You did what?" Was Naruto's surprised query, as Yugito eyed Hinata warily.

Hinata turned her face away from his for a moment before speaking, a light pink blush upon her cheeks as she spoke, softly at first, then with ever strengthening resolve, every word, every syllable increasing her confidence tenfold, as her tone, ever kind and loving grew firm, before she finally looked back at him, to find him patiently..._listening._

"I want you, you and only you Naruto-kun. I only want to wear _your _wedding band not Kiba's."

Hinata sees Naruto bristle and look away at the mention of her teammate, but she calls out his name, drawing his cold gaze back to her.

"Naruto-kun listen to me! I threw it away! I threw _Kiba _away! I left the village to find you, because I want to be with YOU!"

Inhaling a deep breath, Hinata spoke the words she NEVER thought she would have the chance to say again at least not to his face. The words were forceful, and shouted right to his face, stunning him with their intensity.

"Damn it Naruto-kun, I LOVE YOU!"

At those last three words, Naruto's visage softened a bit and he let out a tired sigh, as he placed his right hand upon her right cheek, causing her to nuzzle her face into his open palm before he pulled his hand away and said.

"You don't get to say that to me Hinata, not after what you did three years ago, you destroyed me. Why should I even believe you? I watched you give without protest your hand in marriage to Kiba and the promise of a life with you. That was something I valued just as much as the title of Hokage. What did you think, that a bullshit declaration of love from you and that I would fall to my knees in gratitude and we could pick-up where we were three years ago? Sorry, but that ain't happening. I'm not taking you after you went through all those things with Kiba, and gave him everything I wanted!"

"It-it's not bullshit Naruto-kun, I do love you, I always have even during my marriage with and I always will love you no matter what happens." Hinata softly spoke in a choked voice, as tears began to stream down her face.

The sadness in Hinata's voice and the tears she shed tugged at Naruto's heart and he did not like the feeling, as he angrily responded.

"Even if that's true, then why Hinata why? If you've always loved me and still do, then why did you obediently agree to marry Kiba in the first place?"

"I DID IT TO SAVE MY SISTER AND KONOHAMARU!" Hinata shouted back through her tears and anguish.

"Wh-what?" Naruto said with bewilderment.

Looking up at Naruto's confused face, Hinata exhaled a heavy sigh to try and calm herself before speaking once more.

"I married Kiba to save Hanabi and Konohamaru, Naruto-kun. When my father and Kiba first approached me with the arranged marriage I vehemently refused. Even when my father threatened to have me branded with the Caged-Bird seal unless I agreed I still told them no and informed them I would marry you and only you. This angered both my father and Kiba greatly. My father because Kiba had paid him a great deal of money for my hand in marriage and Kiba because he wanted me so badly. They then informed me that if I didn't go through with the arranged marriage to Kiba, then Hanabi would be required to take my place and she would be branded with the Caged-Bird seal so Kiba could control her."

Naruto literally fell on his ass onto the ground in shock at hearing what Hinata had said before she continued on.

"If you remember Naruto-kun, Hanabi and Konohamaru had fallen in love with one another at that time and promised to marry when they reached legal age. I, I couldn't let my father and Kiba destroy their happiness. So I relented and agreed to the arranged marriage even though I knew that in saving Hanabi's happiness, I would be destroying my own."

"Why Hinata, why didn't you tell me about this? I could have helped, we could have done something!" Naruto asked in a hurt and angry voice.

"What could we have done Naruto-kun? If Lady Tsunade couldn't help me, then there's nothing you could have done. I couldn't tell you the truth back then because my father and Kiba said if I did then they would follow through on the arranged marriage with Hanabi. They also said if you found out the truth they would make sure to hurt you. I would rather die than ever see you hurt, so I agreed to the marriage to save them."

"We could have runaway together like I wanted." Naruto offered up in response.

"And leave behind my sister married to Kiba and branded, as well as Konohamaru heart-broken and alone. I know you love little-Kono like a brother, so tell me Naruto-kun could you have really done that to him?"

Naruto still felt and remembered the pain when he lost Hinata three years ago and though he loathe to admit it, he wouldn't wish that kind of pain on an enemy let alone someone he cared about. However, before he could contemplate further on everything, he heard Hinata comment.

"Hanabi and Konohamaru were married two weeks ago. It was a wonderful wedding and they both are very happy. They said only thing that kept the wedding from being perfect was that you weren't there to attend it Naruto-kun."

Naruto merely sat on the ground silent and unmoving with a stern yet reflective visage he bore upon his face. After a few minutes, Hinata could no longer take the silence and said.

"Please Naruto-kun, say something to me. Please tell me you understand why I did what I had to do to save Hanabi and Konohamaru."

Exhaling a mournful sigh, Naruto finally looked up and stated.

"I understand Hinata, but you still should have trusted me and told me what Kiba and your father were doing three years ago."

"It wasn't a matter of trusting you; I would trust you with my life Naruto-kun. It was a matter of I didn't want to see you hurt by my father or Kiba, don't you understand?"

"I understand Hinata, but you don't understand. By not telling me what was going on and then watching you get married hurt worse than any physical pain your father or Kiba could have ever inflicted upon me. You were my angel, the one who saved me and showed me what real love was like after my foolish time with Sakura. Losing you nearly destroyed my heart Hinata and what was left of it, Ino finally killed a year later."

"I- I'm sorry, I know I hurt you terribly, but I thought I was doing the only thing I could to save the people I love from being hurt. I never stopped loving you Naruto-kun. Even during my marriage my thoughts were unfaithful, because I only wanted you. If you no longer love me or even hate me because of what I did I understand, but I will always love you Naruto-kun and that will never change."

A pall of silence seemed to envelop Naruto and Hinata like a shroud. After a few minutes Naruto finally exclaimed in frustration.

"I don't know what you want me to say Hinata? I don't hate you, I could never hate you, but I don't know if I still love you? I don't know what love is anymore? I once thought I did, but after Sakura, you, and Ino I came to realize I never knew. After that, I decided emotions like love only caused me great pain. So for the last two years I've made it a point to shut down foolish emotions like trust, happiness, and love. You say you still love me, but I'm not the same man I was three years ago. So how can you still love me? You're just clinging onto the fantasy of what I was not what I am. And what I am now is someone who doubts he can ever love anyone again. You should just go back home Hinata and forget you ever found me."

"You're wrong Naruto-kun, I know the man I've always loved is still inside of you, but I won't try and make you love me. I don't have a home to go back to anymore, but I won't stay if all I cause you is pain now."

Hinata then wiped some tears out of her eyes before walking over to retrieve her mask, sword and supplies, as Naruto watched her with concern and doubt. It was then the Kyuubi no Youko decided to speak his mind on the matter.

"**So what are you going to do kid, just let her leave?"**

'Shut up fox, it's for the best.'

"**For the best you say, well let me refresh your memory of what your former vixen has done. She's deserted her home, family, and husband just to find you. Which means she's now a fugitive who will have not only her two clans after her, but also Hunter-nin's from your village trying to track her down? By her leaving because she doesn't want to hurt you, she will be all alone attempting to avoid all of those mortals trying to find her. Or better still were not that far from Kumogakure, maybe they will capture the vixen and turn her into a breeding machine so they can gain her bloodline trait like they've always wanted."**

'_What should I do?' _Naruto thought with confusion, as the fox-demon had given him pause to think about what he had said.

The Kyuubi no Youko thought his vessels musings were amusing, but it soon turned boring and was growing quite irritating to the demon-fox. So he took it upon himself to flash several images throughout Naruto's mind. One image was of Hinata being tried by the Konoha Council for treason. Another was an image of Hinata beaten and in chains and being dragged back before her father and Kiba. And finally an image of a naked Hinata strapped to a table in Kumogakure with a line of several Kumo shinobi moving towards her. This final image caused some red chakra to flare off of his body startling everyone as he growled out in fury.

"**KYUUBI!"**

"_**Oh shut-up and **__**just take the vixen with you and be done with it, you aren't going to leave her alone with all of those dangers out there and you know it."**_Kyuubi grumbled in annoyance.

"Hinata stop, it's too dangerous for you to be out here on your own alone. I'm making you no promises about what will happen between you and me, but if you want you're welcome to accompany us." Naruto called out.

Hinata's response was instantaneous and before Naruto could blink he was suddenly enveloped in a fierce hug. After a moment, Hinata realized what she had done and released him almost as quickly as she had grabbed him and stammered.

"I-I'm sorry Naruto-kun, I shouldn't have done that, but I would very much like to accompany you."

"It-it's alright Hinata, but you do remember what I said about no promises." Naruto replied, a bit taken aback by Hinata's hug.

"Hai, I understand, but just so you know, I believe you still have the capacity to love and be loved. You just need to find it in yourself to let love back into your life. And if you will let me, I would like to be the one to help you find that love Naruto-kun?"

So enthusiastic was her reply, that when he looked back down at her, for the first time in many a year, he smiled. And it made Hinata's heart skip a beat, as he hadn't smiled in over two years and that one brief grin filled Hinata with hope that all was not lost with her Naruto-kun.

"YATTA, I have another wife-chan to play with!" Nel exclaimed with excitement, as she clapped her hands gleefully before running up to Hinata and jumping into the Hyuga woman's arms for a hug.

Whilst this took place, Yugito gave Naruto a sidelong look and asked in a bitter tone of voice.

"You SURE this is a good idea?"

"I don't know, but she's coming with us, end of discussion!" Naruto hissed through his teeth, his blue eyes locking onto her brown.

"Whatever!" Yugito derisively snorted, as she looked away, clearly not pleased at the addition of Hinata into their group.

Ignoring Yugito's attitude for the moment, Naruto called Daisuke back over and asked.

"So, care to follow me on this little errand of mine, before you take me to see your boss?"

Daisuke rolled his massive shoulders in response, as he saw the look in the eyes of his potential comrade, the look of adventure.

"Sure, I could use a little fresh air and it's better than listening to Sakaki bitch about what you did to him."

Looking to the now fully treated Sakaki, Daisuke waved his large hand in farewell and laughed when he saw the angry look on Sakaki's face before saying

"Don't wait up. I'll see you back at base."

Then he turned to follow Naruto and the others.

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

(Elsewhere: Undisclosed Location)

"I seek an audience with your master." Sasuke said to the servant who had opened the door to him.

"Be gone, Master Byakuya left strict orders not to be disturbed."

"Tell your master it is Sasuke Uchiha of the Uchiha clan from the Land of Fire. And I invoke the blood pact the Kuchiki clan and the Uchiha clan made years ago with one another to seek his audience."

The servant shut the door and Sasuke patiently waited. A couple of minutes later, the servant returned and Sasuke was ushered into the castle and led to a great hall and told to wait. Moments later, a man with long onyx-colored hair and wearing intricate white headpieces called _kenseikan_ that symbolized his nobility as the head of the Kuchiki family, one on top of his head and another on the right side entered the room. Sasuke noted that the man bore an appearance and demeanor which reminded him of his older brother who addressed him in a stoic voice.

"So, Sasuke Uchiha of the Land of Fire, for what reason do you seek an audience with me?"

"Thank you for seeing me Lord Byakuya. The reason I've sought an audience with you is that I need a sword that can kill a demon and I've been told the Kuchiki clan can provide me with such a weapon."

"Indeed, a most unusual request. Come with me Sasuke Uchiha, we have much to discuss."

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Author Note: **Nope, no filler chapter this time around for my loyal readers. A tough chapter to revise as it required a lot of additions and rewrite from the original, but I do hope all of you enjoyed the chapter. It was difficult to write the Naruto/Hinata reunion and what transpired from it. So don't hold it against me if I was too harsh with the lavender-eyed princess. I just couldn't see this as one of those "instant forgiveness" stories we come across so much on this site. Anyway, I'm very curious to see what everyone thought about the chapter. Thanks again to everyone for all of your support and your reviews; it's much appreciated by me. Now onto the news and something I could really use your help on.

**News:**

A couple of my readers and fine authors themselves brown phantom and Zentary have set up polls on each of their accounts asking the question.

**Who is the best Naruto fanfic writer on this site?**

They have each listed 50 authors and you're allowed to vote for 10 choices on each poll. Both authors have graciously placed my name on both polls. I humbly ask if you feel I'm worthy of being one of your 10 picks to please place a vote for me. If you haven't voted yet on these polls please do so. I thank you in advance for your support and the links to the profile pages for both brown phantom and Zentary are listed below.

brown phantom http:/www**(dot)**fanfiction**(dot)**net/u/1634435/

Zentary http:/www**(dot)**fanfiction**(dot)**net/u/2022054/

**End of News: **

Take it easy and be good!

_**Kingkakashi**_


	11. Rampant Emotions Take Their Toll

**Do I Have A Purpose Anymore?**

**Chapter 11: Rampant Emotions Take Their Toll**

As Naruto and company made their way through the forest; he pondered a great many things within his mind. The appearance of Hinata was most unexpected and even more surprising to Naruto was learning of why she was there.

Of finally learning the truth of why she married Kiba and hearing her confession of love for him, while realizing all she was willing to give up just to be with him, had actually given Naruto something, a notion he thought he discarded long ago.

Hope.

She had given Naruto a sense of hope that he had not felt in a long, _long_ time. Naruto thought he had given up on love completely after what he had endured back in the village.

But...

Now he began to wonder if he could open up his heart to love once again?

Of course, Nel had unknowingly begun the process, but Hinata's arrival had _definitely _cracked through the hardened exterior of his heart. Hinata had not pressured Naruto in anyway and promised to give him the time he needed to see if he could ever love again?

That giving nature of Hinata was one of the many reasons why he fell in love with her so long ago.

However, Naruto also knew he still felt some anger and pain for what Hinata had done.

'_She should have trusted me, I could have done something. What I don't know, but something. I know she honestly believed she was protecting me, Hanabi, and Konohamaru, but still the image of seeing her at the altar next to Kiba, argh...…..damn it all to hell!'_ Naruto struggled in thought.

Even now as he looked over to Hinata as she carried Nel in her arms while making funny faces at the young girl causing her to squeal with laughter, Naruto didn't know whether to smile or scowl at the scene.

Turning his gaze to his other companion, he noticed Yugito staring intently at the scene as well. But her look was not one of amusement, but the same look of disdain she had held for the Hyuga heiress since she first met her.

Naruto inwardly sighed, as he knew he would need to have a talk with Yugito about Hinata at some point in the near future.

He realized Yugito's tension in regards to Hinata was his own fault, as he had invited Hinata to accompany him and they left almost immediately after his reunion with his onetime love.

Casting a glance at their final companion a man by the name of Daisuke, who was a member and acting liaison to the bandit gang Crimson Blades, Naruto's gaze narrowed dangerously.

A small growl erupted from his throat as he noticed that Daisuke's vision seemed entirely _too _focused on the swaying backside of Hinata.

_'PERVERT!'_

Not one to stand for this, Naruto quickly unsheathed his Zanpaktou.

In an instant it was leveled at Daisuke's throat, his voice was dripping with malice as he held it there he asked.

"Are you enjoying the view Daisuke?"

"I, I, don't know what you mean?" The bandit nervously stammered as he stared down the length of Naruto's blade, practically about to piss his pants in fear.

Naruto was NOT someone you lied to.

His tone turned eerily, calm, yet Daisuke could feel the anger, simmering just beneath the surface, ready to erupt.

"Let me put it to you this way. If I catch you looking at any of the women in my party like that again, I'll keep my promise about Ayame! You got that?"

Daisuke looked to the ground and nodded his head quickly in understanding, as the memory of what Naruto was capable of was still fresh in his mind after witnessing the violent destruction of his squad by this blonde Shinobi.

Grunting, Naruto sheathed his Zanpaktou, while both Yugito and Hinata glared menacingly at their bandit companion, until Naruto's voice rang out and said.

"There's a small clearing up ahead, we'll rest a bit before we make the final trek to where were going."

"And where _are _we going?" Yugito asked in slight annoyance.

He flashed her a small grin.

"I'll let you know when we get there Yugito-chan."

Yugito blushed slightly after hearing this and quickly turned her head to the side hoping no one noticed, as that had been the first time Naruto had used an honorific with her name. Hinata felt a twinge of jealousy stir within her after hearing Naruto, but she remained in control.

She knew all she could do is give the time she had promised to Naruto and let him come to grip his feelings that he had shut off so long ago.

In a way, hearing Naruto use the honorific was a good sign even if it wasn't for her, as it showed that maybe his heart was beginning to thaw if just a little. Hinata just hoped that she too could once again become a "chan" in Naruto's heart as well.

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Back in Konoha, one Kiba Inuzuka was fuming with anger as he angrily packed his Shinobi supplies into a bag. The object of his rage was someone he once considered a close friend and comrade, one Naruto Uzumaki.

But now the mere _mention_ of his name was like bile in his throat, as this one person was the sole reason in his mind why his marriage was failing.

Kiba was going to retrieve his wayward wife and Kami have mercy on Naruto if he gets in his way because Kiba would show him none, as he growled aloud, gnashing his teeth together violently.

"I'll make you pay Naruto, I swear I will!"

"So this is Naruto's fault I take it?"

Kiba spat a curse as he nearly jumped out of his skin.

"GAH!"

It would seem that once again, he had let his guard down.

"Care to explain why Hinata leaving is Naruto's fault?" Came the monotone question of Kiba's longtime teammate and best friend Shino Aburame standing in the doorway of the Inuzuka home, leaning against the door, arms crossed over his chest.

Kiba nearly vomited at the mere mention of his former friend.

As it was, he spat on the nearby photo of them, back when they were genin, before violently smashing the glass frame with a kunai.

As the shattered photo fell to the ground, he whirled on Shino.

"Of course it's his fault! Who else would it be?"

If possible, Shino's tone became colder.

"Hinata's."

"Take that back Shino!" Kiba roared in anger as he whipped out a kunai and pointed it towards his teammate.

"I don't say that to hurt you. I love Hinata as much as anyone, but Naruto didn't force her to go after him when he left the village."

He paused to let his words sink in, and when he was certain that Kiba would not attack, he continued.

"She made that choice all on her own Kiba."

"Choice? What choice? She's my wife God Damn it!"

Shino shook his head sadly.

Truly, he felt pity for Kiba.

"But she doesn't love you, at least not in the way you want her too. She has and always will be in love with Naruto, and I'm sorry but there is nothing you can do to change that."

Kiba looked away, hiding the sadness etched into his face.

"You knew this when you and her family forced this arranged marriage that her heart belonged with him, yet you still went through with it."

Kiba refused to move as Shino pushed himself of the door, and strode forward, until he had rounded the room, and was staring the Inuzuka square in the eye.

"Why Kiba, why did you do that to Hinata when you knew it would break her heart?"

"Because I love her." Kiba replied, as he slumped to the floor, hands on his knees, tears pooling in his eyes, before adding:

"I, I, thought that she would eventually get over and forget about Naruto and love me as much as I love her."

Once again, the Aburame proved to be the voice of reason.

"But she didn't Kiba. And for the last three years I've watched her go through the pretenses of marriage with you while a little more of her spirit seemed to die with each passing day. I've also watched you treat Hinata cruelly by your words and actions you've committed during your marriage. So is it really so surprising that she finally decided to leave you."

He turned to go now.

"I'm truly sorry, I care about the both of you, and I know what I'm saying hurts. But you know it's the truth, and if you care at all for Hinata and her happiness, you must let her go."

Yet, just as he was about to exit, hand on the doorknob, Kiba exploded, violently shouting one word.

"No!"

Shino froze and turned round, tone echoing his surprise, his facial expression hidden by his coat and glasses.

"What?"

Rage was plastered over the Inuzuka's face.

"I said no Shino! I won't give her up."

Then as if he was talking to himself, he went on slowly pacing about the room as he did so.

"She's just confused is all, I know she can _learn_ to love me; I just need to give it more _time_. Sure I could have treated her better, but I got sick and tired of her always moping around. If she couldn't give up her love for Naruto for me, then I've got nothing to feel guilty for about the things I've done or said to her."

Abruptly, he stopped, and clapped his hands together with finality.

"So I'm leaving tonight to bring Hinata back whether she likes it or not."

Shino snorted in exasperation.

Clearly his friend was blinded by jealousy.

"Whether she likes it or not? Listen to yourself Kiba; do you really want to continue a marriage based upon force?"

He now stepped forward, and with a rare expression of anger, shoved Kiba back a step, growing more agitated by the minute.

"Do you honestly believe that keeping Hinata in such a way will make her love you? It hasn't worked so far!"

Kiba's immediate response was to shove his friend right back.

"I don't care what you have to say or think, I'm getting Hinata back that's all there is to it!"

Menacingly, he reached for his weapons pouch.

"Are you going to try and stop me?" Kiba spat as he grabbed his supply bag and walked towards the door.

Shino shook his head.

"No Kiba, I won't try to stop you."

Kiba sighed in relief.

"Thanks Shino, I didn't want to have to fight you. Wish me luck."

"I cannot Kiba. Even if you succeed in this endeavor of forcing Hinata to return, this will end badly for you no matter what you do."

Shino said while shaking his head. Kiba merely scowled at his friend before calling out to Akamaru and Shino watched his longtime friend and dog disappear into the night.

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Meanwhile, across town a young couple's relationship was coming to an end, as Kiba made his way out of the village in search of his wayward wife.

"I don't think we should see each other anymore." Shikamaru stated to his distraught girlfriend of two years, Ino Yamanaka.

However, it was not his statement that had caused Ino to be distraught. When Shikamaru had arrived at the Yamanaka home he had found Ino in this depressed state, and this had not been the first time.

Over the past two years whenever Ino had fallen into such a saddened state it usually involved or was about one Naruto Uzumaki.

Shikamaru knew instantly their encounter with his friend and Ino's ex-boyfriend had shaken the girl badly. As much as he wanted to hate Naruto for Ino still loving him, Shikamaru found he couldn't.

None of this was Naruto's fault, only his. Shikamaru was broken from his train of thought when he heard Ino stutter with despair.

"Wha, what do you mean we shouldn't see each other anymore? Don't, don't you love me Shika-kun?"

Shikamaru clasped Ino's hands in his as he sat them down on her couch and he said with sincerity.

"Ino-chan, I will always love you, but you and I aren't meant to be. Your heart belongs to another and I finally accept that."

She shook her head insistently, tone pleading. "I, I don't know what you mean! I, I love you!"

Shikamaru shook his head slowly.

"But you're in love with Naruto and have been since I forced you to breakup with him."

Ino turned her head away for fear her facial expression might betray her as she said chokingly.

"That, that's not true, you didn't force me to breakup with Naruto, I chose you over him."

A small sigh escaped the Nara.

"You chose me because I forced you too. When I came to you and told you that I was in love with you, you were with Naruto. But rather than give you the time to sort through your feelings and make a decision on your own, I basically gave you an ultimatum and asked you to choose.

Just _saying _that made him feel so guilty.

"I admit that was a calculated act on my part. I was counting on the fact that our long-standing friendship would sway your heart to my favor, but I couldn't allow you to dwell on making a choice between the two of us, so I rushed your decision. "

She tried to cover her ears with her hands, but he held them firm

"I'm so sorry I did that to you Ino. It was selfish and self-serving on my part and it wrong of me to do both to you and Naruto."

Tears pooled in the back of her eyes.

"I hope you can forgive me Ino, I never meant to hurt you or Naruto, but I did and I'm ashamed of myself for it. I just want you to be happy, and if Naruto does that for you, then you should be with him not me."

Abruptly, a mask of anger swept across her face, her blue eyes glinting dangerously, despite the broken tone in her voice.

"I can't believe you're telling me to go with Naruto. He almost _killed _you and Chouji just a few of days ago."

The lazy Nara shrugged.

"Hmph, not really, if Naruto wanted us dead we _would_ be dead, he had us totally outclassed in power and skill."

She blinked, not once, but twice as he went on, hanging on every word.

"I've even spoken to Chouji about this, I think the only reason he thrashed him as bad as he did was because Chouji tried to kill him thinking that Naruto had killed me."

Oh, Shikamaru had no _idea _how much Ino wanted to believe that!

"I-I guess that makes sense, I didn't get the impression that he wanted to fight us, just to be left alone." Ino said before adding:

"But what can we do to bring him back?"

Misery washed away the anger, like sand at high tide.

"He seems to be in so much pain, and he's not listening to anyone anymore."

Shikamaru lightly squeezed her hands.

"That's not true Ino, he listened to you at the fight."

Ino squeezed right back, but MUCH harder, as the water began to leak from her eyes.

"I have a feeling that was a onetime pass Shika-kun. The pain he's in, I'm the cause for a lot of it." Ino stated with sorrow, as a lone tear rolled down her cheek.

"Don't take all the blame yourself; I and many others had a hand in driving Naruto away. I only hope that one day he can forgive us."

Sighing, he rose to his feet, releasing her hands as he did so.

"Well, you've got some packing to do if you're going after Naruto so I should go." Shikamaru said, as he kisses Ino one last time before rising from the couch.

Ino suddenly sprang up and groaned, as she remembered something.

"Oh no, I totally forgot! Lady Tsunade specifically ordered me not to go after Naruto-kun, what do I do?"

Shikamaru gazed at Ino and said with a smirk, as he noted that Ino had already gone back to referring to Naruto with an honorific.

"Well, when does the Ino Yamanaka I know let the orders of a mere Hokage stop her from getting what she wants?"

Ino just smiled before she and Shikamaru embraced in a hug.

Her voice was a mere whisper.

"I do love you, the lazy bum that you are Shika-kun. Are you going to be ok?"

He gave a rueful chuckle.

"I love you too, you troublesome woman, and I'll be fine, I just want you to be happy."

Slowly, she released him, from what would be their last hug as a couple.

"Thanks Shika-kun."

Shikamaru nodded, then closed the door behind him and began walking home while Ino began frantically preparing supplies for her upcoming personal mission to find Naruto and bring him home and maybe back to her as well...

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Naruto and the rest of his party finally stopped to rest at a clearing. And while Daisuke went out in search of some more firewood, Hinata took Nel with her to get some water from a nearby stream. This left Naruto and Yugito alone and Naruto decided now was as good a time as any to speak to his fellow Jinchuuriki about Hinata and some other things, as they sat on a log in front of a small campfire and waited for the others to return.

"Look Yugito, about Hinata I just wanted to say…"

"You don't have say anything Naruto-sama, I've had time to think about it and I realized you weren't going to leave her on her own, just like you didn't leave me on my own."

"Well that's part of it, but I also….."

"You also have had a past relationship with her, but she betrayed you I understand. It's partly why I don't care very much for the princess. Knowing she hurt you terribly in the past makes me angry for some reason."

"**You're angry at her kitten because you're starting to fall for this delicious blonde hunk of man-meat."**Nibi purred inside Yugito's mind.

'_Would you shut-up; I'm not falling for him!'_ Yugito silently snapped at her tenant.

"**Ok, then maybe you're mad at the princess because she's gotten a taste of that meat in the past and definitely would like some more."**

The two-tailed cat demon then sent several provocative and perverse images of what Naruto might be like in the sack causing Yugito's face to blush furiously as a small rivulet of blood leaked from her nose. The former Cloud kunoichi was broken out of her stupor by Naruto's voice.

Yugito-chan, are you all right?"

"Hai, hai, I'm alright, my tenant just decided to have a few words with me that's all." Yugito quickly stammered, as she wiped her nose.

"I can definitely understand that." Naruto replied in understanding before adding.

"Well, what I wanted to say was please try and get along with Hinata. I don't want the issues between her and me to involve you. She is a wonderful girl and I think you two could get along, if you don't let what happened to me in the past by Hinata affect how you treat her. Can you do this for me?

"Hai Naruto-sama, I will try and do this for you."

"Good, and another thing, I've told you before you don't have to call me Naruto-sama, Naruto will do just fine."

"Hai Naruto-sa….Naruto."

Naruto chuckled, before his face grew serious and he took Yugito's hands into his causing her to blush a bit, as he asked.

"Yugito, please don't take this question the wrong way, but how come Madara didn't kill you like the rest of the Jinchuuriki he had captured prior to the Fourth Great Shinobi War?"

The blonde woman instantly let go of Naruto's hand and stood up with her back to him, while wrapping her arms around herself, dreading this moment of having to reveal the truth of her survival and of the shame that came with it to Naruto. After a couple of minutes of terse silence, she finally spoke in a choked voice.

"The, the reason I'm still alive is quite simple. After the Akatsuki captured me, they were going to extract the Nibi from my being. However, after Madara saw me he took a…liking to me. And since it didn't matter what order the Bijuu needed to extracted, he decided I would be the last one after he finally captured the eight and nine-tailed demons. Until then, he felt I could provide…..entertainment for himself and the rest of the Akatsuki members."

"You, you mean!" Naruto stuttered in shock.

"That's right Naruto-sama,….I, I mean Naruto. Standing before you is the whore of the Akatsuki. An unwilling whore, but a whore nonetheless these past seven years!" Yugito spat with bile, disgust, and shame, while tears rolled down her cheek.

"**You are not a whore!"** Nibi screamed in anger at her vessel.

'_It doesn't matter what you call me, now that he knows the truth, any thoughts you had of him and I being together is just a stupid fantasy. I'm used, dirty and he knows it now. Naruto isn't going to want to even look at me let alone touch me and I don't blame him one bit.' _Yugito fired back with grief at her two-tailed companion.

However, what happened next shocked the former Cloud kunoichi, as she was suddenly turned around and enveloped in a hug by Naruto. Yugito tried to pull away, but Naruto held her firm and after a few seconds of struggling, she finally succumbed to the embrace and softly wept into his chest, as he stroked her back and said in a sad yet comforting voice.

"I'm so sorry you had to suffer through such vile atrocities for all these years. I feel like it's my fault that you had too. When Uncle Bee and I along with the rest of the Shinobi Alliance took down Madara and his Edo Tensei army seven years ago, we thought we were the only two Jinchuuriki left still alive. Had we known that you were captured and alive, I swear we would come to rescue you Yugito-chan."

Yugito couldn't believe what she was hearing. This man, this wonderful man was actually blaming himself for the fate that befell her all those years ago. What's more there wasn't a hint of disgust for her in his voice or in the way he held her. Lifting her head and looking up at him with tear-filled eyes, she hesitantly asked.

"You're, you're not disgusted by me?"

Naruto looked down at woman he held in his arms with confusion etched on his face before saying with bewilderment.

"Why would I be disgusted with you? You did nothing wrong and what happened to you no one should ever have to suffer. What Madara did to you only makes me want to kill him that much more. And I promise you once I get my hands on him, I will make him and the rest of the Akatsuki pay for what they did to you and all the other people they have hurt in this world once and for all."

Upon hearing Naruto's declaration, Yugito did something she hadn't done for as long as she could remember….she smiled. Naruto saw her smile and tighten the embrace she held onto him and he leaned down to place a chaste kiss on top of her head as he held her. Unfortunately, at that very moment a voice called out as Hinata and Nel stepped out of the woods holding two jugs of water they had gathered.

"Naruto-kun we've got the water and…"

Hinata instantly froze at the scene before her of Naruto in a deep embrace with Yugito and was kissing the top of her head. The Hyuga woman felt sick to her stomach and her heart seemed to constrict within her chest. It was all she could do not to drop Nel and the water before she set them down and stammered with tears welling in her eyes.

"I, I'm sorry Naruto-kun, I, I didn't mean to intrude on you, I'll, I'll go."

Hinata then dashed back into the forest with Naruto calling out to her and Nel feeling very confused.

"Hinata wait I…."

Was all Naruto could utter before Hinata had disappeared back into the darkness of the woods. Nel looked back at her adoptive father and being the clever and inquisitive child she was deduced that it was something her Naru-kun had done to make the lady with the pretty eyes sad. Nel had grown to like Hinata a lot in their short time together and was not pleased with this current situation, as one could easily see by the scowl that now adorned her face and she marched over to Naruto who looked down at her in puzzlement before yelping in great pain as the little Arrancar kicked him in his shin and shouted.

"What did you do to make the lady with the pretty eyeth cry!"

"Owwww, damn it Nel, I didn't do anything!" Naruto yelled back while hopping on one leg and holding the shin of the other.

"LIAR!" Nel shrieked at Naruto before winding up and kicking him in his other shin before adding.

"Hina-chan wathn't crying before we got here, so you did tomething and you thouldn't cuth in front of ladieth, ith not nice!"

Yugito and Daisuke who had returned with the firewood could only look in shock and awe as this little girl verbally admonished her adoptive father, while he writhed on the ground in pain holding both of his shins now. Nel then jumped onto Naruto and started head-butting his chest with her Arrancar mask and shouting at him.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?"

"Nel-chan, you stop fighting this instance!" Hinata sternly called out, as she walked back into the clearing.

Nel immediately stopped her attack and looked back to Hinata before jumping off of Naruto and running up to Hinata and jumping into her arms, while saying.

"But Naru-kun made you cry. Nel doethn't like to tee you cry, it maketh Nel very tad."

"Naruto-kun didn't make me cry Nel-chan. It wasn't his fault so you shouldn't blame him. And you most certainly shouldn't attack him. A lady like yourself should not get into fights."

Both Naruto and Hinata then locked eyes with one another and Yugito realized they needed to talk and called out to Nel.

"Hey Nel-chan, why don't you help me and Daisuke go collect some more firewood so Naruto-kun and the princess can talk."

"Firewood, I just brought back some firewood." Daisuke groused in annoyance before he felt a wave of killing intent wash over him from Yugito and said.

"Right, let's go get some more firewood."

As Yugito holding Nel and Daisuke walked back into the forest, Hinata made her way over to Naruto who was still sitting on the ground and rubbing his shins.

"I can heal that for you Naruto-kun."

"It's alright, the Kyuubi will take care of it." Naruto coolly snapped in response.

"Oh, ok I don't want to bother you." Hinata answered in a slightly hurt tone of voice.

Naruto inwardly berated himself for snapping at Hinata and realized he needed to talk to her and said in a more calm tone.

"No, no Hinata, it's not that, you're not bothering me. I just didn't want to trouble you or waste your chakra on something as insignificant as this."

"It's no trouble Naruto-kun." Hinata stated, before she knelt down and going through some hand-seals until her hands glowed green began moving them over Naruto's shins.

"Look Hinata about what you saw I just wanted to say….."

"You don't have to say anything, I told you I believe you still have the capacity to love and be loved. You just need to find it in yourself to let love back into your life. I had hoped to help you find that love with me, but if you have found it with Yugito-chan that's alright. I just want you to be happy again."

"It's, it's not like that, I was just comforting Yugito-chan after she told me some things that were causing her some pain that's all it was. I'm sorry if what you saw upset you."

"You don't have to apologize to me, it's I who should be apologizing to you. I had no right to react the way I did, not after what I did to you."

"Well, I just wanted to let you know that there isn't anything going on between me and Yugito-chan that's all." Naruto sheepishly replied, while rubbing the back of his head nervously.

"I appreciate that Naruto-kun, but you don't have to explain anything to me."

"Ok I guess." Naruto answered, suddenly at a loss for words before finally saying.

"My legs feel a lot better now, thanks Hinata, you learned your medical jutsu's well from baa-chan Tsunade."

"Thank you Naruto-kun." Hinata replied, while keeping her head bowed down.

Naruto felt like he should say something else to the Hyuga girl kneeling in front of him, but he just didn't know what else to say. And before he could think of anything, Yugito, Nel, and Daisuke returned to the camp and Naruto watched as Hinata rose from the ground and walked away from him.

After a brief rest in the clearing, Naruto and the rest of his party resumed their travel through the forest. Naruto noticed that Hinata was growing fatigued from carrying Nel and offered to carry his newly adopted daughter the rest of the way.

As Nel snuggled up into his chest, she looked up at Naruto's face and quietly said.

"Naru-kun, Nel is torry that the yelled at you and kicked you. Can you forgive Nel?"

"Of course I forgive you Nel, let's just forget about it ok."

"Ok, can I tay tomething Naru-kun."

"What is it Nel?"

"I really like Hina-chan and think she will be a good wife-chan for you!" Nel exclaimed with childlike innocence and zeal, her smile outshining the sun.

Naruto heard a squeak and looked over to see Hinata blushing furiously, just like the old days.

Naruto himself sported a small blush and kissed his daughters forehead before whispering.

"I like her too, now go to sleep and we'll talk more about it tomorrow ok?"

"Ok Naru-kun." Nel replied before drifting off to sleep.

After a couple of more hours of travel Naruto and company had finally reached their destination as Naruto declared.

"We're here."

"Where is here? I don't see anything." Daisuke hesitantly asked.

Naruto ignored him, looking forward the entire time.

"Hinata, activate your Byakugan and tell me what you see."

"Hai Naruto-kun."

Focusing the chakra to her eyes, the colors of the world faded away, to black and grey, as her range of vision expanded.

Hinata than scanned the area with her famous Kekkei Genkai before saying.

"About fifty yards ahead hidden by some foliage there is a entrance way cut into that rock formation leading to what looks like a manmade cave Naruto-kun."

He nodded once, hand grasping the hilt of his blade in rich anxietry.

"Go on."

With a nod in return she did so.

"There are a few traps surrounding the area but we should be able to avoid them."

Deactivating her bloodline limit, she paused, turning her head to give him an odd look and stating.

"But Naruto-kun, there is someone already in the cave, but for some reason my Byakugan can't focus on who they are?"

Naruto had expected as much.

"That's ok Hinata, I was told that there would be someone here to meet us. Just point out where the traps are and leave the rest to me."

Stammering nervously, she resisted the urge to poke her fingers together as she once did so long ago,

"O, ok, Naruto-kun but if I may ask, what is this place?"

He unsheathed his blade now, and with a massive crash, it slammed into the earth, startling thousands of birds from their perches, in the rich foliage of the trees.

As he reached for his demon mask, he answered her question.

"This, is a former hideout of one Momochi Zabuza the "Demon of the Hidden Mist."

She nodded once, recalling the details of said nin.

"I remember you telling me about him. It was from your first A ranked mission wasn't Naruto-kun. But didn't you say he was dead?" Hinata asked.

A firm nod was given to her, as he began to pull the covering material upon his face.

"Yes, Zabuza is dead, but his Zanpaktou lives on. In fact it's Zabuza's blade that I currently wield and that man in there is going to help me unlock its true potential and power."

As he said this, the mask slid smoothly upon his face, staining the whites of his eyes black, leaving his now eerily dark blue eyes to stare out at her.

Yet unlike last time, they did not seem as cold.

Frosty eyes yes, but chilling to the soul with a lack of sincerity, not so much.

**"I'll be honest, I don't know what to expect when we get inside.**"

Naruto gave a small shrug, his tone nonchalant as he spoke with his regular voice, mutated by the mask but his nonetheless.

**"Who knows? It could be dangerous, it could be harmless."**

Yugito noted that he only used THAT voice, when he was royally PO'd.

Not knowing why, he cast Hinata a worried look

**"This doesn't frighten you does it Hinata?"**

Insistently, she shook her head.

"No Naruto-kun, I trust you and as long as I am with you, I'm not afraid."

He looked at Yugito, and noted that unlike before, she did not flinch under his masked gaze.

**"What about you Yugito-chan? Do you have any problems with any of this?"**

She shook her head once, a stark contrast to Hinata's insistence.

"No Naruto, if you're sure about this than so am I."

Behind his mask, his mouth curved upward in a wicked grin.

This caused the sharp teeth on the outside of his mask, to curve upward as well.

**"Well let's go then."**

"Hey, what about me? Don't you want my opinion?" Daisuke asked.

**"No!"** Naruto coldly stated, still quite annoyed with the man for looking at Hinata like that.

"Ok." Daisuke meekly replied, understanding that his standing with Zabuza's successor was far from good.

And with the discussion officially over everyone began walking towards the hidden hideout.

But each person silently wondered to themselves, what they would find when they got inside?

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Author Note: **There's chapter eleven presented to you for your enjoyment, I hope? (Lol) A tough chapter to revise, as it was the first of the odd numbered chapters I started writing for the original version of the story. So it left me in a bit of a quandary. I mean how do you improve perfection? (Lol) Well, I still went ahead and tried. There are actually quite a few changes from my original work, most of them subtle, but others major like explaining how and why Yugito is still alive. Something we never did do in the original version. So, there was some substantial additions and rewriting I did for this revised version, but I do hope all of you still enjoyed the chapter. Anyway, I'm very curious to see what everyone thought about the chapter. Thanks again to everyone for all of your support and your reviews; it's much appreciated by me. Now onto the news and something I could really use your help on.

**News:**

A couple of my readers and fine authors themselves brown phantom and Zentary have set up polls on each of their accounts asking the question.

**Who is the best Naruto fanfic writer on this site?**

They have each listed 50 authors and you're allowed to vote for 10 choices on each poll. Both authors have graciously placed my name on both polls. I humbly ask if you feel I'm worthy of being one of your 10 picks to please place a vote for me. If you haven't voted yet on these polls please do so. I thank you in advance for your support and the links to the profile pages for both brown phantom and Zentary are listed below.

brown phantom http:/www**(dot)**fanfiction**(dot)**net/u/1634435/

Zentary http:/www**(dot)**fanfiction**(dot)**net/u/2022054/

**End of News: **

Take it easy and be good!

_**Kingkakashi**_


	12. Trust Once Lost Is Very Hard To Regain

**Do I Have A Purpose Anymore?**

**Chapter 12: Trust Once Lost Is Very Hard To Regain**

Naruto paused in mid-step, his eyes narrowing behind his mask.

Something felt off...

WHOOOOOOOOOOSH!

Naruto spat out a curse as he ducked under a rush of flame, the fire passing harmlessly over his head before dying out moments later. Suddenly the nozzle where the flames had erupted from swung around and was now aiming at Yugito.

The former Cloud kunoichi let out a hiss as she too dropped low to the ground, the fire singing her right cheek, as in her worn out state, she did not move as fast as she would have liked to.

**"Son of a bitch!"** Naruto openly cussed.

Annoyed, he looked for the source of the inferno, and saw what looked like a mounted mechanical device of sorts.

Hinata's lavender eyes widened in horror, as the turret now aimed at her and Nel, whom she promptly scooped up into her arms before going into a spin and shouting.

"**Hakkeshou Kaiten!" **(Eight Divination Palms of the Hand, Heavenly Spin)

The little girl let out a happy squeal, as they spun round and round.

"WHEEEEE! THIS IS FUN!"

The fire bounced harmlessly off the already formed chakra dome, ricocheting into a nearby tree, slightly singeing Daisuke's backside, as that had been the tree he was hiding behind. The large man yelped in pain before he dove for new cover, while holding his smoking ass.

Despite the dire situation, Naruto managed a grin at this sight.

Karma really was a bitch.

Deprived of its original target, the flame shooter focused on Naruto once more and he growled, as he rolled to the left, avoiding the scorching heat sent his way. The blonde Jinchuuriki threw a kunai with an explosive note at the flame turret with astonishing speed blowing up the devious mechanism. Unfortunately, five others rose up from the ground just as Hinata's spin slowed to a halt.

The Hyuga girl's eyes widened, as the dome faded away.

She was wide-open, and everyone knew it.

Cursing inwardly in anger and realizing the danger not only to Hinata but to Nel as well, Naruto flashed some hand signs and called out.

"**Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"** (Multiple Shadow Clone Technique)

Each Naruto clone then raised a palm and began gathering chakra into it. Soon all of the gloved hands radiated a blue light which seemed to grow with intensity. As the blonde clones concentrated, each one began to mold the chakra into a fast rotating sphere. Once completed, each clone held a powerful Rasengan before all of them simultaneously shunshin'd to a different turret and slammed the powerful jutsu into them. Immediately, each turret exploded in a spray of fiery shrapnel in every direction.

Hinata looked on in awe as Naruto destroyed all of the flame guns in one swift motion before she then heard a small whirring sound heading towards her and Nel. Hinata didn't even have time to react to this new threat. However, Naruto suddenly appeared in front of her and caught the odd spherical mechanical device square in the middle, halting whatever its functions might be.

A second later, his giant Zanbaktou was in his hand and in one smooth motion he cleaved the device in two.

Naruto paused to survey the scene, smoke rising from the shattered guns.

Looking to Yugito, he arched an eyebrow as she sprang to her feet.

**"You okay?"**

The blonde kunoichi grunted in response, the stalked over to the nearby tree to drag Daisuke out of hiding.

Whilst she did this, Naruto suddenly turned on Hinata, his eyes sparking dangerously.

**"Why didn't you tell me about the freaking fire?"**

All the while, Nel was clapping happily and yelling.

"Again, again, I wanna spin round more!"

Hinata wilted under his cold gaze and the demonic voice his mask carried, looking away sadly, upset in having let him down, whilst Nel was still chattering eagerly.

"I-I-I didn't see it..."

Roughly yanking off his mask, she saw the confusion on his face.

"You didn't SEE it?"

She nodded.

"Not until they popped out on their own."

Irritated, he sheathed his blade, but was not willing to let the matter go just yet.

"Were you using your Byakugan before we were attacked?"

Reluctantly, she nodded again.

"Yes."

As if flipping a switch, his anger boiled to the fore, and she froze as his eyes turned to red slits, veins now popping out of his head.

"Then it's your fault Nel almost got hurt! I guess three years of living the pampered life as Inuzuka royalty has dimmed your skills!"

"Naru-kun" A soft voice called out from below.

Naruto looked down at Nel, just now realizing that his adoptive daughter heard everything he had just said.

Innocently, she stared up at her father and asked.

"Naru-kun, are you mad at Hina-chan?"

Anger still plastered on his face, along with a light red blush now, he did the only thing he could think off.

"URGH!" With a loud shout, he stalked off, heading in the direction of the hideout, with Yugito, now dragging a protesting Daisuke in tow.

This left Hinata standing in place, before she knelt down and gathered Nel into her arms.

The little green-haired Arrancar looked to Hinata and then to the fading silhouette of her surrogate father as he disappeared into the forest.

"Hina-chan, is Naru-kun okay?"

Hinata sighed sadly, both from realizing though Naruto now knew the reasons behind her marriage to Kiba he still bore some bitterness and resentment towards her over it. That coupled with the fact that she had likely lost Naruto's trust now by not detecting the dangers sooner. It was not going to be an easy road to get back to where she and Naruto once were, but Hinata would not give up. She would honor her promise to give him time to heal.

"He's just upset with me."

The little girl frowned and asked.

"But why, you didn't do anything bad to him?"

Our lavender eyed Hyuga smiled sadly at the confused girl in her arms and softly replied.

"I did do something bad to him a long time ago Nel-chan and Naru-kun just needs some time to forgive me for it...….I hope."

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx **

Naruto carried Nel in his arms, refusing to trust anyone else with her safety at that moment. After the debacle of the traps they had encountered earlier, to say Naruto was upset was a mild understatement, he was furious judging by the look in his eyes glinting out from his mask

The subject of his anger, was the beautiful lavender eyed girl walking beside him to his right-

One Hinata Hyuga.

He could not _believe _how careless she had been, in not seeing those traps quicker even with her Byakugan activated. Nel could have been seriously hurt back there because of Hinata's lack of attention. A lack of attention brought on by not keeping up her shinobi skills and instead playing the part of a pampered clan matriarch.

And Nel getting hurt because of someone else's carelessness was something Naruto would not tolerate from _anyone._

Even if that someone was a girl he may still be in love with.

Hinata hadn't said a word since Naruto took Nel from her and they began walking down a long corridor. She knew Naruto was deeply upset with her and she didn't blame him one bit.

Hinata felt horrible that her lack of focus could have gotten anyone of them seriously hurt or possibly even killed.

She didn't understand.

Why?

Why hadn't she seen those traps until they popped out on their own? Her Byakugan was activated at that time; she should have seen the traps well before that.

The only conclusion she could think of was perhaps she had been paying more attention to Nel than to the possible dangers around them.

The thought of Nel getting hurt because of her negligence left the Hyuga heiress feeling very guilty and dejected as she silently thought.

_'I should've been paying attention...'_

Yugito too had remained silent as they all walked down the corridor. She knew Naruto was very upset with the Hyuga princess as Yugito had silently dubbed her.

Looking over towards the obviously dejected indigo haired girl, Yugito couldn't help but smirk at the forlorn face the girl now bore.

Yet she herself hadn't decided yet if she wanted something more.

More than just friendship with Naruto, who was the same as she?

The possibility of such a thing constantly nagged at her, and the voice of the Nibi, the two tailed cat, constantly purring to her inside her mind to take the blonde vessel of the Kyuubi and claim him as a mate was not helping matters.

_'Shut UP you stupid cat!'_

Yet still it nagged at her, her brow furrowed in thought, her lovely face tense in concentration.

_'I wonder if he went through the same hell I did?'_

Did he run from his own village, when they chased him down, howling for his blood?

Was he subjected to the constant jeers, discrimination, and abuse on a daily basis?

_'Were you stabbed in the back, by those you held close to your heart?'_

She felt her heartbeat quicken a bit, a light blush flushing her face pink as Nel piped up:

"I want Yugi-chan to hold me!"

Naruto shook his head as Nel reached out for the Nibi vessel, pining to be held by her because Naruto wouldn't let Hina-chan' hold her.

"No, not right now..." Naruto tersely barked.

One thing that Yugito did know was that if she _did _decide to pursue something more with Naruto, the Hyuga girl was definitely competition for her in that regards.

Unfortunately, Nel would not give in, and was whining loudly now, her small voice heard loud and long, reverberating off the corridors of the narrow hall..

"WAAAAH! I want Yugi-chan!"

Staring up at her father, she jutted her lip out in a pout, tears forming in her bright eager eyes, now pitifully sad.

"Pleaaaaaaaase?"

Looking from Yugito to Nel, Naruto was torn.

Could he trust her with his daughter, or would she endanger her like Hinata had?

Yugito looked over her shoulder now, and ever so briefly her dark, doe brown eyes locked with his. A light blush lit her face, his own visage hidden behind his mask, hiding the dark look in the shadows of its narrow confines.

Breaking the stare, Yugito halted in mid-step, moving back a pace, until she was side by side with her fellow blonde.

She looked down to Nel, the little Arrancar holding her arms up clearly wanting to be held and trying to squirm out of her father's grasp to get to her.

In response, Naruto loosened his hold on her, an unspoken message in his eyes, which now commanded the attention of his fellow Jinchuuriki, loud and clear was his point

_If she gets hurt, you're gonna get it._

Yugito didn't say a word; she just reached down, and gently scooped up the wriggling girl and was rewarded with a happy squeal, as Nel clapped her hands with glee.

"YAAAAAY!"

Naruto did his best to ignore the small gasp from Hinata, as he knew that must hurt her, but he could not deny his daughter her happiness...

Daisuke, Naruto's acting liaison to the bandit gang Crimson Blades, was still rubbing his ass which had been scorched by one of the traps they all had first encountered. He was currently wondering what the hell he had gotten himself into by tagging along with this very dangerous blonde shinobi and his female companions.

_'This guy is hardcore. If I piss him off, I'm gonna get my ass handed to me.'_

Daisuke was snapped out of his train of thought when said Shinobi rounded a corner and ordered everyone to stop.

As Naruto gazed down the final corridor, he spied a simple looking wooden door at the end. Looking around at the walls and ceiling of the hall, he did not notice anything out of the ordinary.

They had not encountered anymore hidden traps for some time now and he wondered why?

The answer was simple.

Either they were at the end, or they were being lulled into a false sense of security.

Turning to Hinata he curtly ordered to her.

"Hinata, activate your Byakugan and scan this corridor and _focus this time_."

Hinata winced at Naruto's tone and implication but nodded her head and activated her famous Kekkei Genkai and scanned the hallway.

After a moment, she turned to Naruto and said:

"I don't see any dangers Naruto-kun, it appears to be safe."

"Famous last words." Yugito muttered before a cold glare from Naruto told her to keep quiet, whilst Nel said that wasn't very nice.

"Alright everyone, stay alert, it appears to be safe, but you never know." Naruto stated the last part warily, before casting a glance at Hinata and began walking down the hall, occasionally looking over his shoulder, eyeing Nel who was happily nestled in Yugito's arms.

As the group made their way down the corridor, Hinata kept her Byakugan activated. She swore to herself that she would not let Naruto down again no matter what.

When their party had reached the halfway point of hall, Hinata suddenly sensed two mechanisms emerge from the walls behind them; these devices looked more seamless than the others, which were bulky and clunky and that meant trouble.

She saw that they were aiming at Naruto and Yugito, and her eyes widened.

Without hesitation, Hinata leapt forward and pushed Naruto and Yugito to each side of the hall while yelling as the machines opened fire.

"Naruto-kun, Yugito-san lookout!"

Yugito cursed as she saw a beam of energy shoot by where she had just been, dropping flat to the ground, covering Nel with her body.

Glancing over to Naruto she was surprised to see him shielding the two of them with his body, before he whirled around and threw two kunai's with explosive notes attached in different directions behind them.

Naruto's aim was true to the mark as each kunai hit their targets and each machine exploded in a blaze of orange and yellow.

Turning back around to check on his daughter to make sure she was alright, he then ripped his mask off and yelled at Hinata, his face twisted in fury

"DAMN IT HINATA, I THOUGHT YOU SAID IT WAS…...Safe."

The last word of Naruto's angry question dying in mouth, as he now saw Hinata lying bleeding and unmoving on the floor where he had just been a moment ago.

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Author Note: **A bit of a short chapter I know, but in the original version a majority of the chapter dealt with Princess Kazahana Koyukihusband battling the Akatsuki. In this revised version, he doesn't exist. I do hope all of you enjoyed the chapter and I'm very curious to see what everyone thought about it. I've been working on this the last couple of hours to get it ready to post. If I've missed something and have a really egregious or glaring error, just PM me and I'll fix it right away. My thanks to everyone for all of your support and your reviews; it's much appreciated by me. Now onto the news and something I could also really use your support on.

A couple of my readers and fine authors themselves brown phantom and Zentary have set up polls on each of their accounts asking the question.

**Who is the best Naruto fanfic writer on this site?**

They have each listed 50 authors and you're allowed to vote for 10 choices on each poll. Both authors have graciously placed my name on both polls. And both Polls have been going on strong for a few months and I'm looking forward to seeing the final results.

So I humbly ask if you feel I'm worthy of being one of your 10 picks to please place a vote for me. If you haven't voted yet on these polls please do so, as I could really use your help to make a good showing.

I thank you in advance for your support and the links to the profile pages for both brown phantom and Zentary are listed below.

brown phantom http:/www**(dot)**fanfiction**(dot)**net/u/1634435/

Zentary http:/www**(dot)**fanfiction**(dot)**net/u/2022054/

Take it easy and be good!

_**Kingkakashi**_


	13. The Truth Can Hurt As Well As Heal

**Do I Have A Purpose Anymore?**

**Chapter 13: The Truth Can Hurt As Well As Heal**

"So, you wish to obtain a blade to slay a demon, is that correct young Sasuke Uchiha?"

"Hai Lord Kuchiki." Sasuke contritely answered, while kneeling before the former 13 Gotei Captain out of respect.

"You may address me as Byakuya-sama Uchiha-san. Now, I was not aware that during this time-period in the world of the living that you were even aware of Hollows."

"Holl-Hollows, I do not understand what you mean. Are Hollows what you refer to as demons?" Sasuke asked in confusion.

"Hollows are a race of creatures which are born from human souls who, for various reasons do not cross over to the beyond after their death and stay in the human world for too long. They are corrupt spirits with supernatural powers that devour the souls of both living and deceased people."

"I still don't understand."

"Hollows are former deceased human souls that lose their hearts to despair or remain in the real world for too long. Any spirit that is not guided to the beyond by a Shinigami via a Soul Burial may eventually descend into a Hollow."

Sasuke contemplated what he had just heard intently. It would seem that these Hollows Byakuya had described to him were similar in some ways, but also different in others from the Bijuu demons he was talking about. However, one thing that disturbed the Uchiha was that Hollows are formed from human beings who have lost their hearts to despair…..just like Naruto had. Sasuke thought he may need the sword even more now because if that was true, should he be forced to kill Naruto he would need to perform this Soul Burial ritual in order to save his friend from becoming one of these Hollows.

'I might have to kill Naruto just to save him. Kami, what kind of cruel joke are you playing on me?' Sasuke thought with derision.

Sasuke's thoughts was interrupted when Byakuya asked.

"Are Hollows the demons you wish to kill?"

"N-no Byakuya-sama. The demons I speak of are called Bijuu or tailed demons possessed within a persons. The demons themselves are known by the number of tails their body carries which also signifies how strong they are. Ancient scribes tell that these Bijuu were once all part of an even greater entity known as the Juubi or Ten-Tails. They also tell that the first ninja, the legendary Rikudou Sennin did battle with the Juubi and split its power into nine individual entities using his Izanagi jutsu. I seek a blade capable of destroying one of these Bijuu…if I'm forced to."

"Hmm, I believe these Bijuu you describe are definitely a different type of demon than the Hollows. However, A Zanpaktou should still be able to dispatch any supernatural demon regardless of its type."

"What is a Zanpaktou?"

"A Zanpaktou is the type of blade you seek, which will kill a demon."

"Hai then that is what I want."

"Were you anyone else I would refuse your request. However, I am bound to honor the blood pact made between the Kuchiki and Uchiha. Wait here and I shall return shortly."

"I thank you Byakuya-sama."

Sasuke watched closely as the Kuchiki patriarch left the room. A few minutes later he returned and handed over to Sasuke what looked like just an ordinary katana blade to the Uchiha. Sasuke studied the blade carefully as he held it before Byakuya spoke once more.

"What you hold there young Uchiha is the Zanpaktou my First Lieutenant Renji Abarai wielded during his service to me. It is a powerful Zanpaktou and should be sufficient to achieve the task you desire."

"He no longer needs the blade?" Sasuke asked in curiosity.

"No, he was one of the noble fallen during the Arrancar war." Byakuya solemnly replied before adding.

"Renji Abarai was the finest First Lieutenant to ever serve for me. Something I regret not letting him know of during our time together. So I'm entrusting his blade to you with the hope that you will wield it with honor as he did."

"I promise Byakuya-sama, I shall."

"I shall hold you to that young Uchiha, for if I hear different, I will seek you out and I will be most….displeased."

Sasuke remained silent, but knew that was not an idle threat.

"Now to begin the training with your Zanpaktou, you will first need to achieve Shikai, which is the initial release of the blades second form to what you now hold. To activate it, you will need to learn the name of your Zanpaktou. This is not as easy as simply picking a name, as the living spirit of the Zanpaktou already has its own name. Therefore, you must be able to communicate and harmonize with your Zanpaktou effectively, which requires being able to speak to the spirit within its world. Once this is accomplished, then we can begin your training to achieve Bankai with the Zanpaktou." Byakuya explained.

"I see, Byakuya-sama I had no idea that I would need such extensive training to use this weapon. Unfortunately, my time is limited and I need to be able to wield the blade effectively to either save or destroy my friend when the time comes."

Byakuya stared intently into Sasuke's eyes looking for any sign of deception after a minute he finally spoke and said.

"I can teach you to achieve Shikai in a short amount of time. After that, you will have to learn to unlock Bankai all on your own."

"I understand Byakuya-sama."

"Very well, I shall begin by telling you the Shinkai name of your Zanpaktou,….it's name is Zabimaru."

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Nel saw Hinata lying on the ground with blood starting to pool around her and screamed in a panic.

"HINA-CHAN!"

Naruto immediately rushed over to Hinata followed by Nel wriggling out of Yugito's hold the poor child in tears, as she looked upon Hinata. As Naruto began checking over Hinata, he found she was alive but unconscious.

Whatever that beam of energy had been, it had gone clean through Hinata's shoulder and out the other side, leaving a solid hole in her arm. However, her shoulder was bleeding quite heavily, as Naruto tore his sleeves off his arms and attempted pack the wound.

Seeing that this was doing little good, Naruto ordered Daisuke to carry Hinata and threatened the man with death if he dared drop her, whilst Yugito resumed carrying the now weeping Nel.

Once they had done this, Naruto then ordered them to follow him as quickly as possible.

Drawing out his Zanpaktou, Naruto then charged down the remaining distance of the hall at blinding speed. Slicing through one turret after another that rose out of the floor before him. When the final obstacle was removed, he crashed through the wooden door ready to take on Kami himself, if that was who was waiting for him on the other-side.

Looking about the room quickly, he spied a wizened old man, clad in a white kimono, with a long white beard sipping tea at a table. The old man looked at the blonde warrior standing before him then at the ruined door and commented with amusement.

"I would have opened the door if you had knocked."

"Who are you?" Naruto growled, in no mood for formalities.

The old man eyed the giant blade in Naruto's hand and chose to speak again.

"Well, since I see you carry my former student's Zanpaktou, allow me to introduce myself-

Rising from his crossed leg seating, he gave a small bow to the blond.

"My name is Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto."

It was at that moment Yugito came rushing into the room holding Nel who was a still crying in her arms followed quickly by Daisuke with Hinata in his. Naruto quickly sheathed his blade and took Hinata from the bandit and looking pleadingly to the old man asked.

"Hinata-chan's been hurt, can you help her?"

Yamamoto noticed the hole in her arm and nodded.

"I can see that, yes I can help the young girl."

He looked to a nearby long table and ordered.

"Bring her over here."

Yugito winced as she watched Naruto carry the Hyuga over to the old man and noted to herself that Naruto had referred to Hinata with a suffix now.

Nibi also took notice of this and was screaming at Yugito in her mind to hurry up and claim the blonde before she lost him all together.

Yugito shouted back for Nibi to shut up and let her think as she watched the old man hands begin to glow while he pressed them onto Hinata's wounds. A few seconds later, the blood pouring from the wounds ceased, and Naruto looked on in amazement, as they began to close and heal almost instantaneously.

Yamamoto looked up with an aged smile.

"Your young lady friend will be fine now. Her injury has been healed, but it will take time to replenish the blood she lost. Follow me; we'll take her to my room where she can get some rest."

Naruto nodded and ordered the others to stay behind, as they would be returning shortly. Nel who was still crying stubbornly refused and wanted to go with them to make sure her Hina-chan was alright.

Yamamoto eyed the little Arrancar warily, before quickly deducing that she was no threat and picked the sniffling child up, almost like a grandfather would and said.

"Now now, little one, I promise the young woman will be fine, she just needs some rest."

"R-Really?" Nel sniffled, while rubbing the tears out of her eyes with tiny fists.

Yamamoto nodded before he took the green-haired child over to a small chest, and pulled out toy fox plushie doll out for the distraught orphan, who immediately took the orange plushie in her arms, and squeezed it tightly.

"Now, if you promise to stay here, and PROMISE to be good-

He paused, as if thinking.

"Then I'll give you some ice cream and sweets, would you like that little one?"

The mention of sugary treats helped to soothe her nerves and Nel reluctantly agreed and began playing with her new toy with Yugito. While this happened Naruto carrying Hinata left the room with Yamamoto.

A few minutes later Naruto returned and introductions were made before everyone sat down at the table while Yamamoto served tea before sitting down himself

"I apologize for your friends' injury; I take it one of Zabuza's traps was the culprit. I'm not surprised; he did hide them quite well."

Yugito shook her head as she sipped her tea, swallowing before speaking.

"It's not your fault she got hurt Yamamoto-san, the Hyuga Princess was careless."

Naruto stiffened, but she ignored him.

"She should have seen the traps no matter how well they were hidden." Yugito quipped this last part, while she drank her tea earning a glare from Naruto telling her to shut up.

Yamamoto tilted his head to one side.

"What do you mean?"

Naruto coughed before speaking coldly.

"What she means Yamamoto-san is that Hinata-chan is from the Hyuga clan of Village Hidden in the Leaves. They possess a unique Kekkei Genkai, which grants her clan extra-sensory perception. This also gives them penetrating sight and telescopic vision within 360 degrees."

Naruto spread his arms in an all-expansive gesture to encompass the entire room, as he said this.

He then shot an angry glare at Yugito, before speaking again.

"So what Yugito-_chan_ is saying is that no matter how well Zabuza hid his traps, Hinata should have seen them." Naruto hung his head as he said this, a faraway look in his eyes.

The old man shook his head and stated regretfully.

"I'm afraid you're both mistaken."

Naruto's head snapped up, and Yamamoto received two odd looks from both blonde Jinchuuriki, as he went about fixing Nel her promised ice cream, which she was practically dancing with glee upon receiving her favorite flavor chocolate.

"I've heard of the famous Hyuga clan and know all about their abilities and so did my pupil Zabuza. He went to great lengths to shield his traps from several of the vision based Kekkei Genkai's that exist in this world."

His tone saddened as he went on, whilst Nel eagerly spooned the cool desert into her mouth.

"I'm afraid no matter how hard that girl used her Byakugan; she would not have been able to see the traps until they had sprung." Yamamoto stated this with absolute certainty.

This revelation was like a slap to Naruto's face, as he realized that he had angrily blamed Hinata for almost getting Nel hurt because of her carelessness.

Now he felt sick to his stomach, upon learning that his former love had not been at fault in any way whatsoever. A feeling of anger and guilt at himself surged through his mind.

While he was thinking how much of an idiot he was, Naruto heard Yamamoto say to Yugito and himself.

"What I can't understand is why she got hurt? Zabuza set his traps to target the most powerful chakra sources and while that young woman is indeed strong, I can sense that both of your chakras are much more powerful than hers."

He looked them over with a cursory glance, before scratching at his baldhead, deep in thought before commenting

"I would have thought you two would have been the first targets, so why did it attack her first?"

If it was possible, at that very moment, both Naruto and Yugito realized that Hinata had sacrificed herself in the corridor to save them from any possible injury or perhaps even death.

The feeling of guilt that washed through them was immeasurable in their minds.

As Yugito contemplated why the Hyuga girl would save her, and Naruto thought what a fool he had been.

Yamamoto spoke up once more, the riddle left unsolved for him.

"Well that's a mystery for another time."

Now, he turned his full attention to Naruto.

"Now, I see you carry Zabuza's Zanpaktou with you. I take it you are the chosen one?"

In a rare moment of confusion, Naruto tilted his head to one side, confusion see upon his chiseled face.

"The chosen one Yamamoto-san?"

The old man nodded sagely.

"Yes, the one who Zabuza said he would send to me to unlock the full power and potential of his blade. Something even he was unable to do."

Shrugging, Naruto rolled his large shoulders, whilst Daisuke listened intently.

"I guess that's me? Zabuza's spirit from his blade spoke to me and asked me to seek you out Yamamoto-san."

The trace of a smile tugged upon the sage's face.

"Well if that's the case, than he has indeed deemed you worthy and able to do what he was incapable of."

Scratching his head, Naruto spoke another question.

"What's that?"

Yamamoto's eyes narrowed, all business now.

"To achieve Bankai for your Zanpaktou, Naruto."

"What is Bankai, Yamamoto-san?"

Yamamoto held up one finger, a serious smile upon his face.

"Ah, in that lies a story."

Nel happily clapped her hands, a look of intense curiosity all over her face.

"YAAAAY! TTORY TIME! Yama-jii is gonna tell a ttory!"

Nel was spared a kindly look by Yamamoto who was amused at being addressed as Yama-jii.

"Bankai or final release is a state of being for your Zanpaktou that once achieved, can increase its power several times over."

Naruto nodded. "Okay...

Yamamoto chuckled. "Ah, I see you are a fast learner, much like Zabuza."

"Before Bankai, there is the form of Shikai, which means to release, while Bankai means to release again. This Zabuza was able to achieve rather easily."

Naruto unsheathed his blade, briefly looking at the wickedly large Zanpaktou.

"So I don't have to worry about Shikai?"

Yamamoto nodded.

"However, you must first pass a series of trials by one of my protégé's to make certain you truly are worthy to wield such a power, before we can begin the true training for Bankai."

Sheathing his blade, Naruto sipped the last of his tea and set the cup and small plate down with a small clank.

"I understand Yamamoto-san."

He took a deep breath, gathering himself before speaking again.

"When must I begin my first trial?"

Snapping his fingers, a dark hole appeared behind the man, creating a light breeze, as it stretched into darkness

"We can begin with the first trial right now if you would like Naruto."

The blond bowed in respect.

"Thank you Yamamoto-san. I would like to begin, but there is something I must take care of first. I need to speak to Hinata-chan before I start. May I have a moment?"

The elder smiled in understanding, waving away the portal with another click of his fingers.

"You may go speak to the young girl before we start. I'll keep your friend's entertained until you return."

Naruto bowed respectfully to the old man and then hurried out of the room to see and speak to Hinata.

Upon reaching the room he silently sat on the bed she was lying on.

Her breathing was peaceful and steady, yet he feared that she would not awaken from her slumber.

Quietly, he called her name.

"Hinata-chan."

Hinata's eyes flew open at the sound of Naruto's voice and when she realized he had used a suffix with her name for the first time since they had reunited.

Looking up to his face she noticed a sad look to his eyes. Fearful that someone had gotten hurt because of her carelessness once again she hurriedly stammered.

"Nar-Naruto-kun is everyone alright?" Oh Kami, Nel-chan wasn't hurt was she? I, I'm sorry I didn't see the traps again before they sprung."

She hung her head, and her tone was filled with despair, as she feared the worst.

"I-I don't understand... I feel so stupid and useless."

She looked up at him now, tears glistening in her eyes, those lovely pale lavender orbs.

"You, you must hate me. I know I hate myself."

When Naruto heard those words from Hinata, he pulled her into an embrace and hugged her tightly much to her utter shock and amazement.

He brought his lips close to her ear, and so no one but her could hear, whispered:

"Hinata-chan, I could never hate you and I never want to hear from you that you hate yourself."

Hinata's lavender eyes softened, as he went on.

"Everyone is fine thanks to you. You saved us back there. I feel like such a fool for the way I treated you."

Pulling back, he noticed the absence of a blush. "I was cruel, and for that I apologize. I must have hurt you greatly."

She shook her head insistently.

"It's-it's alright Naruto-kun."

Naruto heard Hinata so easily forgive him and asked in confusion.

"How can you still love me after all this time Hina-chan? I'm no longer worthy of being loved anymore. I've changed so much since we were last together. Look at way I've treated you even though I now know the truth of why you married Kiba. I still can't seem get past the fact that you did and I feel such anger and bitterness over it. And because I couldn't let go of that anger and bitterness you were hurt because of it."

"I will always love you Naruto-kun no matter how much time has passed between us. You may think you aren't worthy of being loved, but you're wrong. Nel-chan loves you as you are and so do I. Any pain I have suffered or felt is nothing compared to the pain I inflicted on you three years ago."

Tears began to swell in Hinata's eyes and began streaming down the fine features of her face.

"I-I'm so sorry for that, and I hope one day you can forgive me. The, the last three years have been torture for me.…..especially not being able to be with you."

"It's not a question of forgiveness Hina-chan." Naruto replied before sighing and continuing on.

"Knowing the truth now there's nothing to forgive, but you have to understand, I had given up on my feelings for the past two years. So, it's difficult for me to find them once more."

His eyes hardened now, yet his tone remained kind as he looked to her.

"As you can see, I'm not the same man I was three years ago, and you may find you won't like or even love the man I am today."

She shook her head rapidly and for just a moment, he was reminded of when they were kids, as she insistently argued with him yet again

"I-I said don't care who you think you are now! You are and always will be _my _Naruto-kun."

He visibly stiffened, noticing the emphasis on_ my_ as her hands, smooth and soft touched the rough stubble of his cheeks, as he had neglected to shave in the past few days, her smooth fingers running over his rough face, leaving him paralyzed, unable to move.

Instinctively, his body screamed at him to shove her away, yet with a supreme force of will he quelled the desire and instead focused solely on her words.

"Your feelings still exist within you, they're just buried."

She smiled warmly as Nel's laughter was heard from outside the room.

It would seem that Yamamoto was making good on his promise.

"But I know they still exist just by seeing how you are with Nel-chan. I can see the love you have in your heart for that little girl, and she's absolutely adorable."

Looking down, she realized the truth of the words she had just said, now fearing that she had gone too far in saying that he was HER Naruto-kun.

"And if you are unable to find any room in your heart for me, that's alright."

Looking pleadingly at him, her tone was soft and loving, pure innocence, not a trace of dark or evil within her.

"Just know that I will always love you no matter what, that I will always be here for you."

Naruto pulled back from his embrace to look at Hinata's tear-filled eyes and saw nothing but the love this girl has for him. At that moment, he came to a decision; one that had begun brewing ever since he realized how much Hinata had sacrificed in her life for him.

"Hinata..."

He decided that he not only wanted but also _needed _Hinata to become a part of his life once again.

Such unconditional love, surpassing all boundaries, no strings attached-

He was certain that he would never find it again if he spurned her feelings for him.

Leaning towards her, his eyes drifted closed.

"I'm sorry..."

Then, for the first time in many a year, he captured her lips with his own, his rough and dry lips, firm against her soft and smooth.

Her eyes widened inexplicably, as his lips moved to cover her own.

Yet the tension lasted for but a second, before she practically melted into his arms, and allowed herself to enjoy the kiss.

After a minute, he pulled away from a now breathless Hinata and smiled for the first time in a long time and said:

"I think I can find some room in my heart for someone else besides Nel, Hina-chan."

Hinata sobbed into his chest in happiness as they embraced once more and held each other tight.

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Meanwhile, a certain pink haired kunoichi was making her way through the forest in her own attempt to reconcile with Naruto. After stopping by a large tree, Sakura flopped to the ground in frustration as she thought to herself.

'_Damn it Sakura, you are completely lost in these woods. Why didn't I think this out more carefully? I was in such a rush to leave and find Naruto; I didn't give any thought as to how I was going to do it?' _

With a groan, she checked herself for cuts and bruises.'_ I have no idea where to go find him. I should have asked Kakashi-Sensei if I could borrow Pakkun to sniff out where Naruto is.'_

The moon was high in the sky now, nearly full lighting all in its pale glow.

There really was no point in heading back.

'_Well it's too late now. I guess all I can do is get out of this abominable forest and try to find a town. If I'm lucky maybe someone will have some tracker dogs I could get?'_

Just then Sakura heard a twig snap behind her. Grabbing her kunai and pressing her body against the tree, she could sense someone was approaching.

At the last instant, she jumped out-

Only to be tackled by something large, white and furry?

When her attacker decided to lick her face, she heard a familiar voice call out.

"Did you get her Akamaru?"

Sakura still pinned under the weight of the large dog yelled out in response.

"Yes Kiba, Akamaru got me! Now you want to call him off please!"

Once Kiba came upon the scene he saw whom Akamaru captured and helping Sakura off the ground, sheepishly apologized.

"Sorry about that Sakura. Akamaru sniffed out someone he knew and I thought it was somebody else. I didn't realize it was you."

Shooting the mutt a small glare, she rolled her shoulders in a shrug.

"That's ok Kiba, truthfully I would much rather it was Akamaru tackling me to the ground than you and your wandering hands." Sakura jokingly said before adding, with a confused expression:

"Why are you two out here anyways?"

Kiba's smile disappeared and the tone of his voice had an edge to it as he replied.

"I'm looking for my wife."

Sakura blinked, more confused now than ever.

"Hinata, why is she out here?"

Kiba's expression hardened and he spat with bile in his voice.

"She left me a few days ago to go after that filthy bastard blonde teammate of yours."

Sakura resisted the urge to punch the Inuzuka in his disgusting mouth for referring to Naruto in such a way. However, the news that Hinata was also in pursuit of Naruto and had several days head start on her was not good news as far as Sakura was concerned.

Sakura knew of Hinata's longstanding love of Naruto and could claim him for herself if she got the chance. Sakura looked at the Inuzuka heir or more specifically his partner Akamaru and realized they were the answers to her current problem.

Akamaru could sniff out Naruto's trail and if all went well, maybe she could beat Hinata to reaching him first. Sakura was broken out of her train of thought by Kiba who asked.

"Why are you out here Sakura?"

Hastily, she made up an excuse. "Uhh, I'm on a mission for Lady Tsunade. She wants Naruto found and returned as soon as possible."

Kiba looked to the left and right.

"So she sent you? Where's your tracker dog?"

"Yes she sent me. Lady Tsunade felt that I was the best candidate to talk Naruto into returning since we've been friends for so long."

Now it was her turn to chuckle sheepishly.

"As for my tracker dog, I kinda lost him. Say Kiba, since were both out here and you say Hinata might be with Naruto, can I join you and we'll try to complete both our missions together?"

Kiba thought about it a moment before looking back at Sakura and saying.

"I guess that will ok. It would be safer for the both of us to stick together. Plus if Hinata is with Naruto maybe you can help convince her to return home."

He bared his fangs, as he said the last part.

"It would be better for Naruto if you did."

"What do you mean Kiba?"

The look on Kiba's face changed to something feral and his voice was dripping with venom as he replied to Sakura with.

"Because if Hinata is with Naruto and she doesn't return home with me, I'm going to kill the both of them!"

Then as if nothing was said, he smiled brightly at Sakura.

"Come on, let's get moving!"

Sakura gulped to herself and wondered who it was she had just partnered up with, as the man before was not the Kiba Inuzuka she remembered.

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Sasuke was quite surprised to find a campsite off the roadside.

Even more surprised to see that it was Ino who had set it up

"Ino, what are you doing?" Inquired Sasuke, as he hopped off a tree, arching an inquisitive black eyebrow, whilst the blond let out a surprised gasp, dropping the firewood in her arms, the light of the moon shining down upon the two.

"S-Sasuke?"

He nodded. "That'd be me. Care to answer the question?"

Her eyes narrowed as she saw the blade strapped to his back, a blade of the purest white.

"First, tell me what_ you're_ doing out here."

Sasuke's response was simple as he sat down on the log.

"I'm looking for Naruto and I'm guessing you are as well."

Ino hid the small smile on her face. She could use him to help track down Naruto and offered to the Uchiha.

"Then why don't we team up?"

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Tsunade shook her head in frustration, as she read over the report.

"So now Sakura, Ino, and Kiba have left as well?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama." Shizune hesitantly answered, a bit anxious of her master's reaction to the news.

The buxom blond Hokage slammed her hand down onto her desk and growled out in annoyance.

"At this rate, I won't have any shinobi left in the village what with all of his friends going after the blonde gaki! Which will only give more ammunition to Danzo and the Council who are crying out for his blood!"

"I'm not sure you can call Sakura, Ino, and Kiba friends of Naruto anymore Lady Tsunade."

"True, they all may rue the day if they do find Naruto." Tsunade cryptically commented, before pulling out a sake bottle and ordering Shizune that she did not want to be disturbed for the rest of the evening.

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Author Note: **Wow, two chapters posted within a three-day time-period, I must be insane. Well, yes I am, but I did this as a way to say thanks to everyone who has stuck with and supported the story. Even with the long layoffs, when I have to go back and work on my main story Naruto vs. Sasuke: The Aftermath. I might get one more chapter posted on this before I have to get back to work on that story. I will also try and get to answering some of the reviews over this and the last chapter asap. My thanks to everyone for all of your reviews; it's much appreciated by me that you took the time to write them.

Anyway, here is chapter thirteen presented to you for your enjoyment, I hope? (Lol) Surprisingly, this chapter was a little bit difficult for me to revise, even though I was the one who wrote the majority of the original. The Sasuke and Byakuya scene was brand new and for those of you not fluent with Bleach I apologize if it seems confusing. It is the one main peril in writing a crossover tale that your audience needs to be fluent or semi-knowledgeable in both genres. I also made some serious revisions to Naruto and Hinata's conversation. Now are they officially back together yet? I would say no, but Naruto is more open to it and I trust I was able to convey that to you all. And there are a few subtle changes besides the major ones I've already mentioned in the chapter as well.

So while there was some substantial additions and rewriting I did for this revised version, I do hope all of you still enjoyed it. Anyway, I'm very curious to see what everyone thought about the chapter. Thanks again to everyone for all of your support and your reviews. Now onto the news and something I could really use your help on.

**News:**

A couple of my readers and fine authors themselves brown phantom and Zentary have set up polls on each of their accounts asking the question.

**Who is the best Naruto fanfic writer on this site?**

They have each listed 50 authors and you're allowed to vote for 10 choices on each poll. Both authors have graciously placed my name on both polls. And both Polls have been going on strong for a few months and I'm looking forward to seeing the final results.

So I humbly ask if you feel I'm worthy of being one of your 10 picks to please place a vote for me. If you haven't voted yet on these polls please do so, as I could really use your help to make a good showing.

I thank you in advance for your support and the links to the profile pages for both brown phantom and Zentary are listed below.

brown phantom http:/www**(dot)**fanfiction**(dot)**net/u/1634435/

Zentary http:/www**(dot)**fanfiction**(dot)**net/u/2022054/

Take it easy and be good!

_**Kingkakashi**_


	14. The Test

**Do I Have A Purpose Anymore?**

**Chapter 14: "The Test"**

Naruto stood resolute before the portal, Hinata's hand held tightly in his own. He watched as the portal began to widen from a mere pinprick, to eventually a large ominous dark hole the size of a cave mouth.

Hinata gulped at the sheer darkness of the expanse that even her Byakugan could not pierce before a reassuring squeeze from Naruto's hand to her own calmed the former Hyuga heiress somewhat.

"So, what exactly is on the other side of this thing?"

Yamamoto raised his shoulders in a shrug.

"All I can tell you Naruto is that your first instructor awaits you on the other side and do not underestimate him. He may seem like a lazy fool, but he was also one of my first students."

Naruto unsheathed his giant blade, while releasing Hinata's hand ever so slowly-

Before shoving his blade point first into the floor to free his hands as he suddenly wrapped Hinata into a fierce hug while giving the Hyuga girl the most passionate kiss she had ever experienced in her young life.

A kiss, that left Hinata breathless and the room spinning in her eyes as he pulled away.

Nel just asked what that was and when told that was a kiss and being the inquisitive child turned to a very disgruntled Yugito and a rather amused Yamamoto to explain what a kiss was to her. After the explanation was given, Nel looked to her adoptive father and asked.

"So does that mean Naru-kun isn't mad at Hina-chan anymore?"

Naruto smiled and bent down to his daughter, ruffling her mint-colored green hair and answered.

"No little one, I'm not mad at Hina-chan anymore. You be a good girl while I'm gone, ok?"

"Ok." Nel replied, as Naruto kissed her cheek before rising.

Naruto then reached for his blade, and when he hoisted it over his shoulder, he heard a voice whispering its way through his mind.

_Soon..._

_Soon, Naruto, you and I will be one..._

Bearing this in mind and steeling himself for the worst, Naruto put on his mask and stepped willingly into the unknown darkness and was abruptly flung out the other side, landing roughly while stumbling and falling flat on his face, as he staggered forward.

With a small shiver and an irritated growl, he righted himself and took in his surroundings.

Naruto found he was now on the beach of a small island surrounding by the pounding surf of a sea. The island was of your typical tropical variety with a lush jungle populated by many palm trees and other indigenous plant-life. He noticed a small shanty type shack standing at the edge of the jungle line and scratching his head; he pulled off his mask and shouted loudly:

"OI! ANYBODY HERE?"

A calm voice replied, almost immediately.

"You needn't shout."

Naruto looked to right of the shanty hut and noticed a man lying in a hammock strung between two palm trees. Walking towards the man, Naruto was able to see the person in the hammock more closely, who in return eyed the blonde as he approached.

Naruto took note that the man in the hammock had grey eyes and long wavy brown hair, which was tied in a long ponytail and also has long bangs that framed the left side of his face. He also wore very distinctive pin-wheel hairpins that appeared to be very expensive and had thin facial hair around his mouth and on his cheeks. The clothing of the man consisted of a earing a straw hat called a sakkat and a pink, flowered ladies kimono, which he had draped across his shoulders and over the same type of uniform Yamamoto had been wearing. Rising groggily into a sitting position and letting his sandled feet hang loosely over the edge of the hammock the man asked while trying to stifle a yawn.

"And you are?"

"Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze, I was sent here to receive training for my Zanpaktou from the protégé of Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto. Are you that guy?"

The man gave a small nod before jumping off the hammock and bowing down, while sweeping his arm in front of him introduced himself.

"Shunsui Kyoraku at your service."

Naruto then noticed that Shunsui had two types of swords strapped to his body, a tachi and a wakizashi blade. The cross guards of the blades are rectangles, with the corners cut off and decorated by a pattern of cherry petals and lines, as each sported a dark-blue handle. Both swords were sheathed through Shunsui's waist tie at his left side.

Yet, while Naruto studied Shunsui, the former Gotei Captain did likewise and focused his eyes on Zabuza's blade that Naruto carried. A ghost of a smile tugged at his lips, as if in memory before he commented.

"So, you're here to finish what Zabuza could not."

"You mean this Bankai thing right?" Naruto asked, as he shouldered his Zanpaktou's massive weight with relative ease.

Shunsui chuckled and gave a small nod before his expression hardened, as he drew out both of his swords and set the two blades against each other in a cross before declaring.

"But first, you must prove your worthiness."

"Alright, so what's this test?"

"It's simple really, you need to kill me before I kill you that's all."

"That doesn't seem fair, you've already got this Bankai thing, I don't!"

"You're right, if I did use my Bankai on you it would be unfair, but I'm not going to use it. My Shikai should be strong enough for this test. The name of my Shikai is Katen Kyokotsu, now watch closely." Shunsui casually commented before shouting.

"When the Flower Wind Rages, the Flower God Roars, When the Wind of Heaven Rages, the God of the Underworld Sneers!"

"What the Hell?" Naruto exclaimed as he looked on in confusion.

A scant second later Naruto was blinded by an intense flash of light. When the light faded Shinsui was standing before him and his Katen Kyokotsu has changed his original swords into a pair of huge, heavily-curved, black Chinese scimitars with silver edges. The hilt and tsuba of each blade was still the same as they were in Katen Kyokotsu's sealed-form, but they now sport long red tassels dangling from the end.

Naruto had never seen such a thing before.

"I'd quit staring and concentrate Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze, because I will come at you with intent to kill."

The blond swallowed nervously, a bead of sweat running down his face, as he boldly declared.

"I...am not afraid."

At this statement, Shunsui chuckled and began to move his blades into an attack stance.

"We shall see, now let us begin."

The air suddenly grew thick with power, as Shinsui extended Katen Kyokotsu to each side before saying.

"I should warn you the power of Katen Kyokotsu is **to _make children's games real_**. The Zanpaktou makes the rules and anyone who steps within the boundaries of its spiritual pressure is forced to play by those rules, including myself.

"And what are its rules?" Naruto queried.

"Pretty basic actually, if you win you live, if you lose you die."

Shunsui then began to rotate with both blades facing in opposite directions creating large wind blades that were fired towards Naruto from Katen Kyokotsu. The wind blades joined together forming a spinning circle of wind and if they struck would envelope Naruto with tornado-like intensity. The blonde Jinchuuriki was not about to let that happen and went through a series of hand signs before thrusting his arms forward towards the oncoming attack. A powerful gust of wind erupted from his hands indicating Naruto had unleashed his Reppushou (Gale Wind Palm Technique) and it impacted Shinsui's spinning circle of wind with tremendous force causing the two wind attacks to cancel each other out. However, before Gotei Captain could formulate another attack, he suddenly found himself on the defensive, as Naruto had shushin'd over to his position and began attacking him with thrusts and slashes from his Zanpaktou.

'_Interesting, he already knows a form of Shunpo (Flash-step) as well as wind attacks on this world. Let's see how strong and skilled he is with a Zanpaktou.' _Shinsui thought to himself, while dodging a strike from Naruto's blade.

The two combatants circled and danced around each other with deadly grace, searching out openings, and littering each other with cuts that did not kill, but did bleed superficially. The sweet hum of blades slicing through the air, the sizzle and crackle, as each met with sparks flying was almost like a musical concerto of their battle. After awhile, the Gotei Captain was suitably impressed by his opponent's skill. Shunsui had well over a 100 years experience in the art of Kenjutsu, but Naruto was matching him with every parry and stroke. It was evident that Naruto's three years of black op's and hunter-nin missions had turned him into a deadly swordsman.

Shunsui skillfully blocked Naruto's over-head swing with both of his blades, the force from the blow created a small crater under the Gotei Captains feet. Shunsui swore he could feel his bones creak under the intense pressure and power of the attack and realized that Naruto was channeling chakra into his sword arm to increase the strength of his strikes. The Gotei Captain knew he couldn't afford to make any mistakes against this opponent, as he shifted his swords to allow the power-house strike to slip off to the side and uselessly destroy the ground to his right. A large cloud of sand and dust billowed up from the blow obscuring Naruto's vision, which allowed Shunsui to shunpo behind the former Leaf Jounin.

Thrusting one of his blades forward, Shunsui was hoping to end this fight quickly. However, he was surprised when Naruto grabbed the blade with his bare left hand and held it in place. Ignoring the searing pain from his hand, Naruto yanked the blade off course and in the process pulled the Gotei Captain in closer. Naruto then planted his left foot and pivoted to bring his Zanpaktou sword around to skewer his now vulnerable opponent through the chest.

Shunsui knew he had a problem the moment that Naruto had grabbed onto one of his blades and began to pull. However, instead of fighting against the pull, he threw himself towards the direction he was being pulled in. Twisting his body to its fullest extent, the point of Naruto's blade barely missed fatally striking the Gotei Captain, as he was able to bring his other sword around in the nick of time to parry Naruto's strike. Growling in frustration, Naruto then launched into a series of chakra-enhanced strikes hoping to overwhelm his opponent once and for all by strength alone.

For his part, the Gotei Captain had decided he had seen enough and now was the time for Naruto's true test to begin. After a few minutes, it seemed as though Naruto's strategy of simply overwhelming his foe by sheer brute force was working. As the fight progressed, Shunsui slowly but surely grew more and more sluggish and was merely on the defensive at this point. For every time the Gotei Captain attempted to go on the offensive, Naruto was able to dodge all of the attacks in an impressive show of agility and speed and sent back a few effective counter-attacks littering Shunsui with several cuts along his chest and arms.

Finally, the Gotei Captain was too slow to dodge and with a anguished cry from his lips Shunsui found Naruto's Zanpaktou imbedded into his left shoulder blade forcing the man to drop one of his scimitars onto the ground. As Shunsui fell to one knee with Naruto's blade still firmly buried into his shoulder, he precariously held his other scimitar blade up in a defensive position. Unfortunately, the pain in his shoulder was agonizing, as he swayed unsteadily on the ground before Naruto who with one quick stroke knocked the remaining sword out of his opponent's hand leaving the man now defenseless. It was then that the blonde Jinchuuriki heard his foe gasp out in a labored breath.

"Fin-finish it Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze. I told you the rules at the start, if you win you live, if you lose you die! You've won; I've lost; now strike me down and be done with it."

Naruto ripped his Zanpaktou out of Shunsui's shoulder causing the man to grunt in pain. Grabbing the hilt with both hands and raising it high above his head, it would only take a simple down-stroke to cleave the Gotei Captain in two. Shunsui saw his foe raise his sword and gave a small grin to the blonde man before closing his eyes and await the final blow that would end his life. Suddenly, Naruto unleashed a monstrous roar and swung his Zanpaktou downwards.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO….!"

A few seconds later, Shunsui opened his eyes to see Naruto blade imbedded in the sand next to him, while Naruto stood over him with his arms crossed and breathing heavily before he spat with anger and contempt.

"No I'm not going to kill you; I've no reason to kill you! And if you bring up that bullshit about the rules of the game, I don't give a damn what the rules say! I'm not going to kill anyone just because a bunch of stupid rules say I have to!"

Shunsui smiled and quickly rose to his feet surprising Naruto who had believed only moments ago that the man was barely able stay conscious. The blonde Jinchuuriki watched as the wound he had inflicted onto his foe only minutes ago, began healing itself at an astonishing rate.

"I congratulate you, Naruto Uzumaki Narmikaze. You...were the first to figure it out the true meaning of the test and only the second man to ever survive this trial. I have nothing more to teach you in this regard."

Releasing Katen Kyokotsu and sheathing both of his blades once more, Shunsui saw the confused look now plastered on Naruto's face and chuckled before saying.

"The test is over and showed yourself to be your own master, well done."

"You say I'm the first to pass this trial, but the second to survive it. Who was the first to survive?"

"The first was the former owner of your Zanpaktou Momochi Zabuza. For you see Zabuza was able to show that he too was his own master, but could never figure out the second part of the test."

Licking his wounds, and stretching, Naruto took careful note of what he was being told.

"You see the opportunity was given for you to strike me down yet you did not. Instead you spared me and that befits a true warrior of justice, one that does not bring unnecessary bloodshed or blindly follow rules like an obedient lapdog."

Looking away, he shook his head in disdain.

"Unfortunately, Zabuza _loved_ any opportunity to commit unnecessary bloodshed, so when that opening always presented itself during the test, he was always taking it and thus failing the trial time and time again as a result."

The Gotei Captain now surprised Naruto by offering the blonde his hand.

"If it wouldn't trouble you, I'd like to accompany you back to the world of the living, if not as a mentor then as an ally."

Naruto eyed the hand warily, immediately on high alert.

"You mean you'd be willing to join me and my party and share in our goals?"

Shunsui nodded before stating.

"If they're worthy, then I would be honored to lend you my sword not only to you, but to your comrades as well. Besides I've been cooped up on this island in this dimension for I don't know how long? And if I don't see a woman again soon, I'm going to go nuts!"

At this Naruto chuckled, taking the extended hand a moment later and shaking it firmly.

"Then welcome to Team Fox, Shunsui Kyoraku."

No sooner had they shook hands when a portal opened behind Naruto, whilst another appeared behind Shinsui.

The one by Naruto was black, while the one near Shinsui was the purest of white.

Sensing the blonde's confusion, the straw-hat wearing Captain provided an answer to Naruto's unspoken question, as he released Naruto's hand from his grip and said.

"The portal you see behind me is the return to old man Yamma's place. The one behind you leads to the second trial. I will return to your comrades and inform them of our agreement."

Shunsui then stepped one foot into the white, before turning around once more.

"I wish you luck in your second trial, Naruto."

Then in a flash of white he was gone.

The Jinchuuriki sighed, as he looked to the black abyss.

There would be no more delays.

Every second he hesitated, would likely be another life lost in the Land of Snow.

"Well, here I go!" Naruto shouted as he charged into the darkness once more while wondering.

'_What new trial was waiting for me on the other side?'_

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Meanwhile back in Konoha, Tsunade was fervently massaging her temples in an effort to relieve her mind from the horrid headache she had developed over the last two hours.

Emissaries from both the Hyuga and Inuzuka clans had voiced their concerns so to speak with regards to their missing heirs.

To further complicate matters, the Haruno family and the Yamanaka clan had also weighed in with their own worries with regards to their now missing children.

And while they had at least been respectful enough to Tsunade to ask for the Hokage's help in finding them, the Hyuga and Inuzuka clans essentially demanded that Tsunade do something to insure the return of their missing clan members.

After listening to the shouts, demands, and squabbles that had erupted for over two hours, Tsunade's patience was gone. She ordered everyone to go home with an assurance from her that she would send out a search party consisting of two of her finest Jounin Shinobi to locate and bring home everyone's wayward family members.

Grabbing her list of available Jounin and scanning through it, Tsunade smiled as she came across two names that were available for duty.

And considering whom all the missing shinobi were, these two would be perfect for the mission considering the relationships they had with all these AWOL nin's.

Writing the names down and giving them to a messenger, she wanted these shinobi in her office first thing in the morning. And with that taken care of, Tsunade began a frantic search for her sake, as nothing was a better remedy for a headache.

At least in her opinion...

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Author Notes: **Well there's chapter 14 and I think it's an important chapter for the story, as I made a major change from the original version and it did require a lot of rewrite on my part. I chose to rewrite Naruto's first Bleach character ally, as Shunsui Kyoraku for two reasons. One, I always liked his character in Bleach more than Kaname Tosen. And two, it better fits when I make the attempt to explain how the Bleach characters are in the Naruto world in the first place later on. Hopefully, all of you will enjoy the change in the story and this chapter. I know it took me a little bit of time to get it to you, but I had to take a break from this story so I could get my other stories updated such as **"Naruto vs. Sasuke: The Aftermath" **I still urge all of you who are fans of this and have not checked out that story please do so. I truly believe you will enjoy reading that tale as much as you do this one.

**News:**

For the past few chapters I've alerted my readers to a couple of polls set up on each of their accounts by the fine authors brown phantom and Zentary asking the question.

**Who is the best Naruto fanfic writer on this site?**

Recently, brown phantom let me know that he would be closing his poll at the end of the year.

However, Zetary's poll will still remain open.

As for the poll themselves, they both have each listed 50 authors and you're allowed to vote for 10 choices on each poll. Both authors have graciously placed my name on both polls. And both polls have been going on strong for a few months and I'm really looking forward to seeing the final results.

So I humbly ask if you feel I'm worthy of being one of your 10 picks to please place a vote for me. If you haven't voted yet on these polls please do so, as I could really use your help to make a good showing. A top 10 showing would be nice, but a top 5 would just be incredible and it's the perfect late Christmas gift too, lol.

I thank you in advance for your support and the links to the profile pages for both brown phantom and Zentary are listed below.

brown phantom http:/www**(dot)**fanfiction**(dot)**net/u/1634435/

Zentary http:/www**(dot)**fanfiction**(dot)**net/u/2022054/

**End of News**

I'm still very pleased that this revised story seems to be a hit with most people. I also want to thank those readers who take the time to leave a review for the tale. They're very helpful in letting me know how the story is progressing with all of you. And they really do assist an author out in knowing what people like about a story. Thanks again to everyone for all of your support.

Take it easy and be good!

_**Kingkakashi**_


	15. A Sinful Betrayal Revealed

**Do I Have A Purpose Anymore?**

**Chapter 15: "A Sinful Betrayal Revealed"**

As Kurenai waited patiently in the Hokage's office for Tsunade to arrive, her irritation was growing with each passing minute. The subject of her irritation was the other occupant in the office seated next to her at that moment, one Kakashi Hatake.

It wasn't that Kakashi was a bad person or that his attitude was annoying to Kurenai. No, the main cause of her ire was the Copy nin's endless penchant for reading that perverted novel of his no matter who else may be around. Women, children, it didn't matter who was in Kakashi's presence.

He would just continue to read his pornography, oblivious to anyone around him who might be offended by that smut. And nothing got under Kurenai's skin more so than perverted behavior.

Just as she was about to angrily tell a giggling Kakashi to put that book away, Tsunade walked into the office and beat her to the punch by growling:

"Kakashi put away that damn book before I ban its possession in the village for good!"

Kakashi pulled the book back to his chest protectively and stammered in disbelief, as he held tightly to his most precious possession.

"I don't want Jiraiya's legacy to be tied to those damn books of his! His legacy should be him looking down from the heavens and seeing his last pupil become Hokage!"

Tsunade shouted at Kakashi while trying to hold back her tears at the remembrance of her lost teammate, friend, and love.

The mood in the room had instantly turned somber.

"I understand Hokage-sama." Kakashi solemnly replied while tucking his book inside his Jounin vest. Taking a moment to calm down, Tsunade sat in her chair.

"Now, I have called you both here to assign you a missing nin retrieval mission."

The two Jounin exchanged a glance before looking back to the blonde Hokage.

"You both are two of my finest Jounin and because of the personal relationships you have with these missing nin's, I feel you have the best chance for success in bringing all of them home."

Kakashi and Kurenai looked at each other with confusion before turning back to Tsunade and Kurenai inquired.

"Who are these missing nin's you speak of Hokage-sama?"

Lacing her fingers together before her, Tsunade let the bomb drop.

"The mission I'm sending the two of you out on is to retrieve some of your wayward students."

Kakashi scratched the back of his head before saying in confusion.

"Our students Hokage-sama, we ….."

Finishing his statement, Kurenai now spoke.

"We haven't had any students since Teams 7 and 8 disbanded a few years ago."

"They officially may no longer be your students, but can the two of you honestly say when you look upon them you still don't consider yourselves their teachers?"

Both Jounin silently nod their heads in acceptance, before Tsunade continued on.

"The reason you're both here is each of you have two former students who are currently AWOL from the village. And if they aren't found soon, I may be forced thanks to the Council's meddling to declare them missing nin and issue a capture or kill order to our Anbu hunter nin's on all of them."

The two Jounin gasped at this, knowing full well the ramifications of that order.

Again looking to the photo of Naruto and Jiraiya, Tsunade laid it flat and out of view and heaved a heavy sigh.

She could not bear to look her old friend in the eye, and admit to her former teammate, long since deceased, that she had failed. Looking back to the two Jounin before her she announced.

"I've already done this to one of them because of the Council, even though it has broken my heart to do so. I don't want to do it for the others, for if I do it will be my last official act as Hokage of this village."

"Who is missing Hokage-sama?" Kurenai asked, her voice ringing with apprehension.

"You both know Naruto left the village three weeks ago. When that happened I sent Team Asuma the Ino-Shika-Cho trio after him. I figured Shikamaru would be able to quickly deduce where Naruto might go and I was correct. They found him and engaged Naruto in battle...

Her face darkened into a scowl.

"They were soundly beaten."

Kurenai stiffened slightly at the mention of Asuma's name.

They had only just begun dating when he lost his life while on a mission at the hands of the Akatsuki member Hidan. She missed her fellow Jounin and friend and would wonder sometimes what could have developed between the two of them had he lived...

She was broken from her train of thought by Kakashi voice.

"How badly were they hurt Hokage-sama?" Kakashi asked.

At this, her tone lightened somewhat.

"Surprisingly, or maybe not, they did not suffer any major injuries. Chouji was the worse off, but only because he attempted to kill Naruto when he thought Naruto had killed Shikamaru."

Looking out into the morning sun via her window, Tsunade sighed for what felt like the millionth time before she resumed speaking.

"Apparently Naruto held no desire to hurt or kill any of them, for if he had they would be dead according to Shikamaru."

"He's that strong?" Kurenai asked her fellow Jounin.

Kakashi merely nodded his head before Tsunade continued on.

"After that incident, I recalled Team Gai who I had also sent out in search of Naruto, lest they get injured in trying to apprehend him." It was after this that several members of both your teams began going AWOL."

"Who?" Both Jounin asked in unison.

Again she dreaded her own words; ill tidings of bad news were all that seemed to convey these days.

"Well first it was Hinata. Apparently life as an Inuzuka was not appealing to her, as indicted by the note she left to Kiba."

"What... did it say Hokage-sama?" Kurenai hesitantly asked.

"What you would expect from Hinata, that she tried to make the marriage work and that she did love Kiba but only as a close friend. She blames herself for not standing up to her family and going through with the arranged marriage."

"She knows her leaving will cause Kiba pain and she hopes he can forgive her. But she must find the one man who has always held her heart and if she can bring him home. However, if she can't, then she will not be returning either, etc, etc."

Kakashi shook his head sadly at the potential loss of another Shinobi, as he thought.

'_What is this village coming to?'_

Kurenai leaned forward and put her face in her hands in an attempt to hide the tears beginning to well in her eyes. Letting loose a heavy sigh and wiping her eyes, she leaned back up and said with resignation:

"So she continues to lie even in her farewell note."

"What do you mean Kurenai?" Tsunade questioned in curiosity.

Suddenly Kurenai's crimson eyes narrowed, and her face tightened in barely contained anger

"What I mean is that Hinata's marriage was a farce from the very beginning! I know how much Hinata loved Naruto three years ago and she would never betray him the way she did unless her father somehow forced her too. I remember questioning her about why she was suddenly marrying Kiba, but all she would say is she had no choice. And no matter what I said or how hard I pressed her, Hinata wouldn't elaborate further. The pressure Hiashi and her clan put on Hinata for that marriage was tremendous. But Kiba was under no such pressure from his clan, and he knew she loved Naruto and not him, yet he still went through with the marriage. I'm more disappointed in Kiba than I am in her for going through with the marriage and I'll never understand why did he do that to her? I'm surprised she made it three years, I know how miserable Hinata has been during her marriage despite the brave façade she put up for the public when she was with Kiba."

"The timing of her departure is curious considering her sister Hanabi and Konohamaru were married just two weeks ago." Tsunade commented in deliberation.

Alas, this brought Tsunade to the second part of the tale.

"Well speaking of Kiba, before you start this mission you might want to talk to your lone remaining student, Shino about him Kurenai. According to Shino, Kiba is not handling Hinata leaving very well. Apparently Shino exchanged some words with him before he left the village to retrieve his wife."

Kurenai nodded solemnly.

"I shall Hokage-sama."

Now it was Kakashi's turn to speak.

"I already know about Naruto, Hokage-sama. Which of my other students is missing or is it both of them?" the lazy Jounin asked with interest.

"Sakura we suspect left before Kiba did to go after Naruto. As for Sasuke, he begged me to let him go and find Naruto, so I sent him on a mission to retrieve him within two weeks."

"And...asked Kakashi, suspecting there was more than he was being told.

There was.

"That two-week time period ended over a week ago and I told Sasuke if he was unable to accomplish his task, then his orders changed from retrieval to a capture or kill order for him to execute." Tsunade replied with sadness while dropping her head in shame.

"You did what?" Kakashi exclaimed leaping from his chair.

Tsunade leapt up as well easily ten times as angry, as made evident by the tears sparkling in her hazel eyes.

"You think I wanted to? As long as Naruto has the Kyuubi sealed within him, he is a dangerous threat to our village but more importantly he is in danger himself! Madara Uchiha and the rest of the remaining Akatsuki are still out there trying to capture Naruto and we cannot allow them to get a hold of the Kyuubi!"

Panting heavily from the intense burst of anger, she took a deep breath-

"You know what will happen if they do, Naruto will be killed anyway and they will have the most powerful Bijuu at their disposal and we would be finished!" Tsunade shouted as tears streamed freely down her face.

Kakashi saw the pained look on the face of Tsunade and knew what she had ordered was killing her on the inside. As much as he wanted to refute her argument, he found that he couldn't.

Balling his hands into fists in frustration, he finally sat back down and said with stoicism.

"I understand... Hokage-sama."

"I hope so Kakashi because I'm issuing the same capture or kill order to you. Unless you think you can bring Naruto back alive, then there is no other way, he-he will have to be...eliminated." Tsunade stammered her voice tinged with despair.

Kakashi could only stare at Tsunade in absolute shock and anger that she would issue that order to him as well.

Gripping his fists even tighter, it took all of his strength and will just to keep his killing intent in check and say through clenched teeth behind his mask:

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade knew Kakashi hated her at that moment and she didn't blame him one bit.

But she had a duty to perform as Hokage to always protect this village no matter the threat. Tsunade just never imagined that the threat could ever possibly come from Naruto himself...

Dismissing Kakashi and Kurenai and watching them head towards her door; she suddenly remembered one more thing and ordered them to stop before saying.

"I was so focused on your students; I nearly forgot to tell you this. Ino Yamanaka also went AWOL a few hours after Kiba did, so she is also roaming around out there searching for Naruto, bring her back as well."

Kurenai arched a dark eyebrow.

"Ino, why is she searching for Naruto?"

"I don't know for sure Kurenai, but I suspect it's for the same reasons as Hinata and Sakura."

"I understand Hokage-sama." Kurenai replied with a mild blush to her face.

Turning around to exit the office with Kakashi, the two Jounin heard their Hokage shout out a desperate plea.

"Please, please bring all them back home!"

The two Jounin turned back to Tsunade and both nodded in affirmation before leaving on what may be the most important mission from a personal standpoint of their lives.

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Ino was amazed at how effortlessly Sasuke was still jumping from tree to tree through the forest.

_'Kami, how can he keep going...?'_

They had been traveling most of the morning and even though Ino had improved her physical skills greatly since their younger days, fatigue was beginning to slow her down.

Looking up towards the sun, she took note that it was around midday and called out to Sasuke.

"Sasuke, its midday, can we take a short break and have some lunch?"

Sasuke looked to the sky and then back to Ino and nodded his head before pointing to a small clearing by a creek.

A moment later, both Leaf Shinobi landed in said clearing and sat down each one leaning against a different tree.

Both Ino and Sasuke broke out their field rations and ate quietly, their thoughts primarily on Naruto.

After finishing their meals and refilling their canteens from the creek, they sat back down once more as Sasuke pulled the sword he carried off of his back and examined it closely, looking it over with a keen eye, as if searching for something

Ino's inquisitive nature came forth when she saw the obsidian-eyed man across from her looking at the blade.

"I don't remember you carrying a sword before Sasuke, is that new?"

"It's not a sword Ino, but a Zanpaktou and yes it is new."

The blonde persisted, her curiosity not satiated in the least.

"It looks very old, where did you get it?"

"It is old and very powerful as well. I just recently acquired it from a man by the name of Byakuya Kuchiki."

"The Kuchiki clan, I've heard stories about them. They belong to that Soul Society cult and supposedly hunt down these demon thingies."

A perplexed look then appeared on Ino's face as she asked.

"But why do you need a weapon that kills demons?"

Sasuke glanced at Ino's eyes briefly before quickly turning his head to the side and remained silent.

It was at that moment Ino's eyes grew wide with startled horror, and she realized why Sasuke had that sword.

She rose to her feet, her body shaking as tears began to well in her eyes and pointed accusingly at the Uchiha and screamed at him with hate.

"You lying bastard! You told me you were here looking for Naruto the same as me, but you're not!"

He opened his mouth to speak, but the blonde kunoichi spat in his face.

"You just want to find him so you can kill him!"

Sasuke wiped the saliva off his face in disgust, before vehemently saying in denial.

"It's not true, I swear it! I'm here under orders from Hokage Tsunade to find Naruto and bring him back to Konoha!" Sasuke pleaded while leaping to his feet.

"Then why the need for the sword?" She hissed out, not convinced in the least of his intentions.

Sasuke turned his head to the side once more and looking to the ground spoke in a choked voice, the words visibly painful for him to speak.

"I need the sword because if I am unable to convince Naruto to return to the village, Tsunade has ordered me to…eliminate him."

Ino shook her head in disbelief, refusing it to be true.

"I-I, can't believe that old hag would order that, I thought she loved Naruto?"

And then, she vented on him once more.

"And you of all people to do it! Haven't you already hurt Naruto enough in your life Sasuke?"

Her words were true, every single one.

"She has no choice Ino, and yes I know about the pain I've inflicted upon Naruto. From my desertion and our fight at the Valley of the End when I rammed a Chidori into his chest, to all the numerous battles we had up until the final one where he brought me home."

A melancholy sigh escaped his lips, and his shoulders sagged.

"I know I've caused him a great deal of pain."

The blonde snorted and was tempted to slap him on the head.

"Hmph, you're just talking about the physical pain, which I'm sure Naruto forgave you for a long time ago. You neglected to mention when you crushed his heart after you came back!"

Surprised, Sasuke did a double take, shock plastered all over his face.

"Wha-what are you talking about?"

Now she _did _slap him, rather hard across his face.

"Don't play dumb Sasuke! You and Sakura did a number on him when you returned. If it hadn't been for Hinata to pick up the pieces, Naruto probably would have left the village long before this."

"What Sakura and I did?"

He shook his head.

"I have no idea what you're talking about?"

Ino glared at Sasuke until she noticed the confused expression on his face and in his eyes before she realized.

"You really don't know what I'm talking about do you?"

Sheathing his blade he shook his head again and shot her a glare.

"No damn it I don't, tell me what did Sakura and I do to Naruto!"

"You took your best friend's girlfriend from him the day he was going to ask her to marry him, that's what you did Sasuke!" Came her violent reply, one that made the anger upon his face die, abruptly replaced with horrified realization.

"G-Girlfriend, you mean Sakura? No that can't be right, Sakura told me she and Naruto were just friends when I returned!"

"Friends, friends, friends! They dated for almost 3 _fucking_ years before you came back Sasuke!" Ino shouted in his face.

"You're lying!" Sasuke accused the Yamanaka girl before she forcefully shoved the stunned Uchiha back first into a nearby tree and screamed.

"They started going out shortly after he returned from his training with Jiraiya-sama! Believe me I know, I had to listen to Sakura for three years talk about how wonderful Naruto is and how much she loved him and how much he loved her!"

Sasuke refused to believe it and shaking his head rapidly in denial stammered.

"That-that can't be true, Sakura told me she had loved only me and had waited for my return!"

"Hmph, if that's true Sasuke then I guess Naruto wasn't the only one Sakura played for a fool. I still remember the very day you and forehead girl destroyed him, I was working at the hospital that day."

Leaning against the tree with his arms crossed over his chest, Sasuke listened intently to the tale.

"I remember when Naruto came in and showed me the engagement ring he had gotten for Sakura. It was a week after he had brought you back and _you_ were still recovering from your injuries."

_Well_, he mused, _so far she has the timeline right..._

"Naruto wanted my opinion if Sakura was going to like the ring or not, and it was a _beautiful_ ring by the way, I don't know where he got it, but it actually had a pink hue to it, Sakura would have loved it."

A faraway, semi-sad look appeared in her eyes now.

"I then remember Naruto asking where Sakura was, as he wanted to ask her right away. I told him she was in your room down the hall and do you want to know what his response to me was? I remember it word by word to this day."

**"Awesome, I can ask Sakura-chan to be my wife and the teme to be my best man all in one shot!"**

"I then watched Naruto run down the hall and open the door to your room, but he didn't go in."

Horrified guilt began to clutch at Sasuke's stomach, tying it into a tight knot, as Ino described every explicit detail.

"He just stood there in the doorway, unmoving and staring into your room with the blankest expression I've ever seen on someone's face. Finally I saw him close the door and drop something into a nearby wastebasket before continuing on down the hallway to leave."

I remember running down the hall and looking into the basket only to discover it was the ring he threw away. I couldn't imagine what would make Naruto do such a thing? That is until I opened your door and saw Sakura with her skirt hiked up and bouncing up and down your mid-section moaning like the cheap whore she is on your bed. It was all I could do not to go in and kill the both of you for what you had done. I probably would have if Shizune hadn't entered the floor and called for me."

Clapping her hands of imaginary dirt, Ino proceeded to wrap up the story, folding her arms over her double C breasts as she did so.

"So there you have it Sasuke. I'm sure a Chidori to the chest is quite painful, but it's nothing compared to the pain you inflicted on Naruto that day of seeing his supposed best-friend and brother fucking the girl he had loved his entire life! The same girl he had decided he wanted to spend the rest of his life with!"

Sasuke dropped to his knees as memories of the day Ino was speaking of came flooding back into his mind.

He had been in the hospital recovering from the wounds he had received from Naruto in their final battle. Sakura had taken care of him practically 24 hours a day during that week.

Sasuke had to admit that he took notice of her during that time. Sakura was no longer the gangly teenager he had once left unconscious on a bench, but had grown into a very beautiful young woman since then.

During that week, the possibility of being more than just friends with her had begun to plague Sasuke's mind. Eventually, he decided to ask Sakura to become his girlfriend, but he wondered...

'_What was her relationship with Naruto since he had been gone?'_

When she had told him they were nothing more than friends he was relieved.

Sasuke then remembered Sakura squealing with delight and kissing him when he suggested they become a couple and the rest had been described accurately enough by Ino.

Looking up into her blue eyes to desperately search for any hint that the Yamanaka girl was lying to him about all of this, but finding no such sign, Sasuke knew everything she had said was true.

Looking back to the ground he stated with despair.

"I-I didn't know Ino. I swear I never would have done that to Naruto had I known. It all makes sense now that I think about it. I wondered why Naruto avoided us after we became a couple. I wanted to ask him what was going on, but Sakura told me that Naruto was just being childish because of his silly crush on her and that she had chosen me to be with instead of him."

"She convinced me that we should just leave him alone and eventually he would get over it. I thought she was right when after a few months he did start to interact with us once again. Why would he do that after what we did to him? And why didn't anybody tell me about Naruto and Sakura?"

Ino's answer was simple.

"The answer to your first question is Hinata. She finally found the courage to let Naruto know that she truly did love him. And Hinata would never use Naruto the way Sakura did, like a replacement tool for her own selfish needs until you returned. Hinata helped to heal Naruto's shattered heart and soul and eventually, Naruto fell in love with her. It was only after that happened that we all started seeing Naruto around once again."

Another memory of Sasuke's flashed across his mind.

It was the first time he had seen Naruto since he had been released from the hospital and had starting dating Sakura. After hearing what Ino had just said, another piece fell into place which explained that strange encounter that had always nagged at him.

Shaking his head in disbelief of his own stupidity Sasuke commented:

"I remember... the first time Sakura and I had run into Naruto while walking through the park. It had been almost a year since one of us had seen him and I was surprised to find him holding hands with Hinata when I did.

I remember congratulating Naruto when I learned that he and Hinata were dating. I never understood why Sakura and Hinata glared at each other the whole time and then got so agitated when I suggested we all go on a double date...

The pieces were rapidly falling into place, and they were not forming a pretty picture...

"Naruto just laughed it off and flashed that goofy grin of his before he made up some excuse about him and Hinata needing to be somewhere and then they left."

"I should have known something was not right when Sakura started complaining about Hinata being with Naruto the rest of the day to me. I'm such a fool, but I still don't know why no one else ever told me about Naruto and Sakura?"

"Well Sasuke, I'm not surprised at all about Sakura's reaction when she saw Naruto and Hinata together for the first time. I'm sure forehead girl wanted to be with you, yet still have Naruto pine away for her the rest of his life."

Ino's tone of voice was dripping with acidic venom, as she spoke about Sakura.

"The thought that Naruto might actually _love_ someone else besides her, I'm sure was appalling to Sakura and to her ego. As to why I or anyone else didn't tell you about Naruto and Sakura's past relationship, is because Naruto told us not to."

"What, why would he do that?"

"Naruto said that he didn't want you to know because he wanted to see you happy Sasuke. And if Sakura made you happy, he didn't want to ruin it for any reason. He also said that what happened in the past didn't matter anymore. He had found Hinata and the two of them were in love and happy and would be for the rest of their lives."

She bit back a sigh, as they had been doing too much of that. "Of course, you already know about the tragedy of what happened to them two years later."

Sasuke too resisted the urge to repeat a sigh.

"Yeah, I know, and what happened still haunts Naruto to this day. One of the things Naruto said to me before he knocked me out when he left was that the Naruto I knew was dead, he had died three years ago."

"Well I know it still haunts Hinata as well, damn her family and Kiba for doing that to them!" Ino angrily spat before adding.

"So tell me Sasuke, now that you know about all of this, and the pain you've caused Naruto. Are you still going to kill the man you call your best friend?"

He scratched his head and started to pace.

"I-I don't know what I'm going to do anymore Ino... When the time comes I'll make that decision. But I can make you no promises one way or the other."

"Damn you to Hell Sasuke Uchiha!"

Suddenly, all hell broke loose and Ino roughly tackled Sasuke to the ground, holding him there by both his arms, her expression murderous.

"I won't let you hurt Naruto-kun anymore!"

"Fuck you, you've been standing here casting judgment on me for the pain I've inflicted upon Naruto, what about the pain _you've_ given him?" Sasuke retorted right back.

She was prepared for this, speaking her words slowly and surely, as if to clearly get her point across.

"Fuck you too; you think I don't know I also helped to create the Naruto we now have today! _I_ was the one who tried to pick up what was left of him after Hinata's marriage. I was with him for a year as he slowly mended and we started to become closer. Then, I did the unforgivable, I was given a _choice_ and I chose wrong, and I've hated myself for it ever since."

Suddenly getting off him, she rose, and turned round, her back to him, as her hands balled into fists at her sides.

"It's why I'm out here. I love Naruto-kun and want to bring him home and be with him if he'll have me. I don't know if he will, and I can't blame him if he doesn't, but even if I find that he won't love me the way I love him, I still want him to be a part of my life no matter what."

Her next words were a desperate whisper, one that pleaded to the heavens.

"I just pray Naruto-kun is still willing to let me be a part of his life when we do find him...?"

"I can't imagine Shikamaru is going to be too happy about what you're doing Ino." Sasuke derisively commented, as he picked himself up, dusting off the dirt and mud from the tackle.

Casting a glance over her shoulder Ino merely scoffed at the Uchiha's words before looking away once more and saying.

"For your information, Shikamaru has no problem with what I'm doing, seeing as we have broken up and he was the one to push me to go after Naruto. Shika wants me to be happy and to follow my heart, even if it's not with him and I will always love and be grateful to him for doing that."

His next words knocked the anger right out of her.

"I told Sakura the same thing."

"What are you talking about?" She stammered, now reluctantly turning to face him.

"Sakura broke off our engagement before Naruto left. She told me she wanted to be with Naruto and I told her to listen to her heart and to be happy."

"I'm sorry Sasuke, I didn't know, are you ok?"

"It hurt at first, but after learning from you that my entire five year relationship with Sakura has been based on a lie, not so much anymore. Now, I'm actually grateful that she did end it."

"Well, if Sakura thinks she's just going to stroll back into Naruto's life after what she did, she's got another thing coming! I'll kill her myself before I let that happen!"

"Only if I don't get to her first Ino!"

"Alright, let's get moving. The sooner we find Naruto the sooner we'll get things sorted out. But just so you know, if you try to kill Naruto-kun when we find him, you'll have to get through me first! You got that?"

A small smile touched his lips.

"I understand."

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

As Ino and Sasuke prepared to resume their quest to find Naruto, another pair of missing Konoha Shinobi decided to take a short break before resuming their own hunt to find Naruto.

After traveling for several hours in silence, Sakura was still haunted by Kiba's words days ago to kill Naruto and Hinata, if Hinata didn't return to Konoha with him.

When Kiba had uttered that threat the look on his face had been so feral, animalistic almost, and combined with the malevolence ringing in his voice as he said it, truth be told, it frightened Sakura greatly.

At that moment, Kiba was no longer the friend and comrade she had grown up knowing most of her life, but a complete stranger.

However what confused Sakura as she watched Kiba play with Akamaru was at this moment, he spoke and acted exactly as she remembered him growing up.

Deciding to take a chance and summoning up the courage to speak to the Inuzuka heir, Sakura hesitantly asked.

"K-Kiba, you didn't really mean what you said when we first met did you?"

"About what?" Kiba replied with a confused tone before sitting down across from Sakura and lean against a tree.

"You, you know about wanting to k-kill Naruto and Hinata if she didn't return home with you?"

Kiba's appearance immediately took on a darker tone as he furrowed his face into a scowl at the first mention of Naruto's name.

His voice also took on a more menacingly cold tone as he answered Sakura's question.

"I don't want to kill anyone Sakura, not Naruto and certainly not my wife. But I will kill both of them if they force me to. If Hinata returns to me, everything will be cool and no one will get hurt I promise."

His clawed hands ground into the log, peeling shavings of it away.

"But if she refuses, then I'm not responsible for what will happen afterwards, that will be on Naruto's head not mine."

Sakura in a futile attempt protested.

"But-but Kiba how is Hinata refusing to return to Konoha with you Naruto's fault? He-he didn't kidnap or take Hinata when he left, from what you've said Hinata went after him on her own. I don't know what's going on between you and Hinata, but it sounds like your blaming Naruto for your troubles with Hinata for no reason."

"No reason, I have every reason to blame Naruto for all of this!"

This made no sense!

"Why Kiba?"

"Because if it wasn't for Naruto, Hinata would love me and not him damn it!"

"Wha, what?"

"Look Sakura, it's easy to understand when you think about it. Hinata is my wife, not Naruto's. She needs to learn to love me and not Naruto, but how can she do that with him still around?"

A faraway look appeared in his eyes, and he let out a happy sigh.

"I was so fucking happy when I heard Naruto had left the village. I knew with him gone, Hinata could finally start to love me like she is supposed to instead of him. I wouldn't have to watch her mope around anymore like I have for the last three years or see the fake smiles she would give me."

He nodded, as if to reassure himself.

"With Naruto gone, Hinata can finally learn that she belongs to me not him."

Then the look came back, along with the venom.

"But even with Naruto gone he still fucks up my life, because Hinata can't seem to let go of him! But that is going to change, one way or another Hinata will submit and learn to love me and be the proper wife I deserve!"

'_Yeah Kiba, it's real easy to understand your thinking, if you're a freaking lunatic!' _Sakura thought to herself before shaking her head sadly and saying:

"I'm sorry Kiba but love doesn't work that way. You can't force or teach someone to love you if they love someone else. Even if they're not together, Hinata loves Naruto. Whether he is in the village or not isn't going to change that fact. A person won't learn to love someone, if their heart belongs to another no matter how hard they try."

'_Believe me Kiba; I've spent the last five years of my life learning that lesson the hard way.'_

"You know what Sakura? I don't care what you or Shino or anyone else has to say about this. Hinata belongs to me not Naruto, and once she learns that, everything will be fine!"

"Kiba you talk about Hinata like she's some sort of possession, women aren't objects you can't own them!"

His rage nearing a boiling point, Kiba leapt up from the log, growling fiercely as he glared at her.

"Grrrrrrr, I'm tired of talking about this! This conversation and you Sakura are starting to piss me off! You're either with me or against me on this! Are you going to help me with Hinata or not?"

Sakura looked up at Kiba's face and saw it had taken on that feral appearance she had seen when they first mett.

And that malevolent and venomous tone had returned to his voice, which was even causing Akamaru to whimper.

Sakura realized she may have pushed things too far and needed to choose her next words very carefully.

Taking a moment to compose herself, she said in as calm and steady a voice as she could muster.

"I'm with you Kiba and I will help you with Hinata once we find her."

Then, as if someone had flipped an unseen switch on Kiba, he smiled brightly at Sakura and said in a sweet voice.

"Well come on, let's get moving again!"

As Sakura watched Kiba begin to repack his supplies, while she did the same, she mused to herself...

'_I'm with you Kiba you psychotic lunatic, only because I need you right now. But once we find Naruto, all bets are off!'_

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Author Notes: **Well judging by the severe drop-off in reviews I'm guessing that several readers are upset with me for the almost seven-week interval between my chapter 13 to chapter 14 update. So I figured I would hammer out chapter 15 for your enjoyment as an attempt to seek forgiveness on your part and hope that you will return to the story. I do want to sincerely thank those of you who did review; it's very much appreciated by me. A lot of you I recognize as fellow authors and I know you understand the difficulties a writer faces when they have several on-going projects at the same time. As much as I would love update my stories on a weekly basis, it's just not possible for me to do so. To even attempt it, you would see a grave reduction in the quality of my work and that's something I never wish to compromise just for the sake of expediency.

As for this chapter, there's not a whole lot of difference except for one major story point from the original version. And that's because I wrote the original chapter in the first place and really couldn't see anything that needed extensive changing. So here is chapter 15 and I'm very curious to see what everyone thought about the chapter. My thanks again to everyone for your continued support, now onto the news and something I could really use your help on.

**News:**

For the past few chapters I've alerted my readers to a couple of polls set up on each of their accounts by the fine authors brown phantom and Zentary asking the question.

**Who is the best Naruto fanfic writer on this site?**

Recently, brown phantom let me know that he would be closing his poll at the end of the year. However, he contacted me again to inform me that he's changed his and will keep his poll open a bit longer. So I urge everyone to check-out these polls when you have a chance.

As for the poll themselves, they both have listed 50 authors and you're allowed to vote for 10 choices on each poll. Both authors have graciously placed my name on both polls. And both polls have been going on strong for a few months and I'm really looking forward to seeing the final results.

So I humbly ask if you feel I'm worthy of being one of your 10 picks to please place a vote for me. If you haven't voted yet on these polls please do so, as I could really use your help to make a good showing. A top 10 showing would be nice, but a top 5 would just be incredible!

I thank you in advance for your support and the links to the profile pages for both brown phantom and Zentary are listed below.

brown phantom http:/www**(dot)**fanfiction**(dot)**net/u/1634435/

Zentary http:/www**(dot)**fanfiction**(dot)**net/u/2022054/

**End of News:**

I'm still very pleased that this revised story seems to be a hit with most people. I also want to thank those readers who take the time to leave a review for the tale. They're very helpful in letting me know how the story is progressing with all of you. And they really do assist an author out in knowing what people like about a story. Thanks again to everyone for all of your support.

Take it easy and be good!

_**Kingkakashi**_


	16. Desire and Temptation

**Do I Have A Purpose Anymore?**

**Chapter 16: "Desire and Temptation"**

When Naruto emerged from the portal he took a look around, eyeing the terrain warily or rather the lack of it.

The portal shrank to nothingness behind him and he found himself standing atop a cliff, before peering down over it to behold a rolling black sea with waves crashing against the rocky shore casting a salty spray into his face.

Behind him was but a rocky plain, nothing to be seen for miles on end.

Rain poured down and thunder crashed in the pitch-black cloudy sky, followed by lightning moments later and he looked up and closed his eyes. Naruto let the water wash away the bloodstained filth of his clothes, his hands hanging loosely at his sides, water beading off his mask and into his face, as the gore was washed away from him.

Grasping his blade, he suddenly noticed that it felt lighter.

Looking down at it he arched a surprised eyebrow, as his blade seemed to have changed somehow, although he was not aware of when that had taken place.

It was still quite large, but not nearly so much as before, it was sleeker in comparison.

It now resembled an oversized butcher knife, and the handle had no guard whatsoever was grasped firmly in his hand, its handle wrapped tightly in cloth, the end of it trailing loosely in the sharp breeze of the approaching storm.

Jamming its tip into the ground, he looked over it.

The serrated edge was now a bright shimmer of silver, while the tip and the upper half of the blade was pure black. As he was examining his newly transformed Zanpaktou a voice rang out in his mind.

_Shout Zangetsu….._

Zangetsu,the name resonated in his skull and he realized that must be the Shikai name for his blade.

_You are close Naruto, very close…_

Nodding, Naruto could now distinguish the voice as male, as its deep bass undertone gave it away.

**"So you're my Zanpaktou."**

_It has taken you quite some time, but I'm pleased to finally have a chat with you._

**"The feeling's mutual, now what is that the extent of the Shikai power?"** Naruto asked, as he swung his new blade around to get a feel for it.

_Shout, Getsuga Tenshou as you swing the blade towards that boulder._

Naruto shrugged his shoulders and with a fierce yell cried out.

"**Getsuga Tenshou!"**

As Naruto swung the Zanpaktou towards the massive rock he was amazed at how light it felt despite the fact that it was nearly as large as before when Zabuza wielded it. However, even more shocking to the blonde Jinchuuriki was seeing a wave of blue light engulfing the blade, before moments later the wave shot out in a crescent shape traveling onward and impacted the mighty boulder with tremendous force obliterating the stone into dust. As the dust and debris from the blow began to settle, one could see steam seemingly rising from the blade and a wicked grin worked its way up the blonde's face.

**"Impressive, what was that?"**

_Getsuga Tenshou, or in your terms, Moon fang piercing the Heavens._

Again Naruto swung, now calling out the name of the attack and was rewarded with another wave, then another and another, as he swung again and again wildly into the air.

Suddenly stopping, the Jinchuuriki looked down at his blade in reverent awe before asking.

"**Where does this power come from?"**

_It is the power that dwells within you. At the instant you make a slash, your spiritual pressure or what you would call chakra is absorbed and then releases highly condensed spiritual energy at the tip of the blade, magnifying the slash attack and flying forward. That is Zangetsu's power in Shikai form. With me, there is NOTHING you cannot cut._

**"Anything, huh?"**

The prospects and potential of that pleased Naruto greatly. A chuckle escaped his lips, and then soon twisted into a confident laugh, as he felt new power course through him, his head thrown back as he basked in the blue glow of his strength.

**"Let my enemies beware! With this, I shall tear all my enemies asunder!" **Naruto roared to the heavens in the cold metallic echo of a voice his mask produced.

As he held his blade high, the lightning in the sky attracted to the metal shot down at him arcing towards his prone form.

**"Perfect."** He hissed, already going into a full bodied swing as the power coursed through his blade which glowed blue, but was also built up by his chakra and was then amplified ten times over.

**"GETSUGA TENSHOU!"** Naruto roared, and with a massive two-handed left to right swing, he thrust a massive blue crescent at the bolt of lightning and split it clear in half like a hot knife through butter, as the chakra-powered reaitsu went on and on until the lightning had been totally torn asunder.

Again Naruto laughed, as he held his smoking blade, its steel now hot to the touch.

If even lightning fell before him, then what chance did his enemies have?

Clapping was heard and he whirled about eyes sparking dangerously, yet not attacking.

It was then Naruto heard a low, sultry, and very sexy voice through the fading steam, as the silhouette of a woman appeared.

"Good, I can see why you passed Shunsui's test."

A flash of lightning lit up the sky revealing the mysterious woman. Lightning flashed again and Naruto got a good look at her in the dark. Her bright yellow honeysuckle eyes shone in the dark, as did her pearly white teeth.

"Impressive, you actually made it this far?" She purred, and it sent a shiver up his spine, as the air about her seem to shimmer from her power or a trick of the eye, he could not be sure.

The lightning lit up her form once again and Naruto could see her long violet hair cascading over her back. The woman had a voluptuous body he had to admit, as she seemed almost like a tan goddess, straining against the narrow confines of her outfit. Her clothing consisted of a basic black tank top with no back or sleeves, and long spandex pants that were also strained taught against her form.

Her arms were not bare, but each was wrapped in a tan material from her elbows to her wrists, as purple crisscrossed lines set upon the fabric of her cloth armguards.

The purpose of such a thing, as well as the tan scarf worn round her neck made no sense to Naruto, but then he surmised that they might be training weights of some kind. Lastly, she wore long tan boots that ended in tight purple shoes.

**"Who are you?"** He asked.

"The name's Yoruichi Shihoin and you are?" The woman answered, as she walked towards him her supple hips swaying with each step

**"Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze."** The blonde Leaf Jounin replied, as he stood his ground before biting his lip, as her hips brushed against his whilst she walked past him.

Naruto then felt her breath hot on his neck blowing against him, as her voice took on a more seductive quality.

"Can you remove that mask so I can see who I'm talking too?"

Naruto hesitated a moment before deciding no harm could come from revealing his face to this woman and he lifted his mask off of his face.

"My, my, I've never had such a_ handsome _guest before." Yoruichi cooed as she walked around the blonde Jinchuuriki looking him over in a lascivious fashion.

Naruto's body was stiff as a board, as the tan seductress before him reached up to stroke his cheek, as Yoruichi stared intently into his carefully guarded eyes. Her hand caressed his face, as her fingers tenderly stroked the whisker marks there before saying so soothingly.

"And your eyes, I've never seen that deep a sapphire blue before."

Try as he might, Naruto was unable to tear his gaze away from the woman before him, as his mind and body seemed paralyzed by her.

Yoruichi hands traced his jaw line before she suddenly gripped the back of Naruto's head and placed one of the most soul searing kisses one can imagine onto his lips.

A clearly shocked Naruto quickly succumbed to the pleasurable feeling now coursing through his body as he wrapped his arms around Yoruichi. Lost in the moment, Naruto began to open his mouth and moaned when he felt Yoruichi tongue lick at his lips asking for entrance. As Naruto began to comply with her wishes, an image of Hinata flashed through his mind and summoning his waning strength of will he placed both of his hands on her shoulders and gently pushed her away as he said:

"Don't."

Smirking, she suddenly spun round, her hand moving incredibly fast before stopping inches from his face.

"You didn't attack." She stated, her face betraying nothing but mild amusement despite the passionate kiss she had just given him.

"I don't hit girls, even when they try to tempt me like that." Came his easy reply, for the latter was true despite the fact that the kiss had badly shaken him.

"A noble and chivalrous answer Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze, but it's ultimately foolish action on your part to do."

Yoruichi then got into an attack stance, her cat-like eyes glinting mischievously, as she took several steps away from him.

"But this time I'm not going to stop, so you had best defend yourself."

Naruto reached for his mask and pulled it back down, while assuming a more aggressive stance. He loosened the wrappings upon his hilt then slowly began to wind Zangetsu about, until it spun from his right hand in a steady hum.

Once he achieved the desired momentum, he tossed the blade far out onto the stony plane, where it landed with a metallic clang, as it was embedded point first in the rock, safe from the possibility of falling into the stormy sea below.

"Why did you do that?"

**"Because, you are unarmed, therefore I had an unfair advantage."**

"I told you before, you're chivalry is misplaced in this situation." The Neko-woman stated, as an aura of white flickered about her, whilst a familiar red silhouette crept up Naruto's form.

Thunder rumbled, and lightning lit up the sky in a bright light, as a geyser of a twister formed in the distance and set upon the foreboding sea.

"Here...goes!"

Suddenly, the thin white aura around Yoruichi exploded into a blazing white aura of energy that lashed out at anything within striking range. It's cutting power so fierce it easily carved large furrows into the stone face of the land.

It even rivaled the lightning, shooting up into the clouds in haphazard bursts and occasionally lashing out at Naruto, who nimbly sidestepped each blast, while focused on Yoruichi the whole time.

Momentarily, Yoruichi controlled the chaotic kidou and the orange jacket she wore was shredded to pieces by its energies, as the torn shreds of cloth were caught up in the winds and then torn to nothingness.

Gritting her teeth, she let out a loud shout, and then the area around her exploded into a 10-foot crater, which Naruto leapt back from.

As the dust cleared, Yoruichi sported a wicked wild grin, as her violet hair somehow still bound in its hair-tie, whipped about her chaotically. Her arms, formerly held out at her sides, were now held before her in her traditional fighting stance, as stones rose from the earth beneath her and then were crushed into nothingness by the sheer pressure of her energies.

"Shunko!" **(Flash release)**

Naruto just laughed, and crossed his arms before him in an X.

**"You think _that's_ special?"**

The air shimmered about him, tearing at the cape he wore and shredding it away, much like Yoruichi's jacket.

**"Let me show you something!"**

Crimson crept across his blue eyes, staining them ruby red, as his pupils dilated, now black slits against his red demonic eyes.

Yoruichi arched her violet eyebrow, and stood her ground as the Kyuubi cloaked enveloped Naruto. Twin tails of red chakra formed behind him, and were swaying slowly back and forth in the wind, as his red eyes bellied the ferocity that now gripped his very soul.

_'What the...'_

Naruto slowly gnashed his teeth together in mild pain, as his canines elongated, slowly changing into wicked fangs. A wicked laugh rose from his throat causing Yoruichi to give pause and think.

"That is _truly_ unique." Yoruichi murmured to herself.

Flexing his hands, Naruto could feel his fingernails sharpening until they could no longer be called such, and were now more like deadly claws, which were more than capable ripping out a throat in a matter of moments if he chose to do so.

Clenching them into fists, he pierced the skin of palms, pain coursing through him as he left puncture marks behind that healed almost instantly, despite the blood dripping down upon the stone

Two red ears of fox chakra finished the cloak and fully enveloped Naruto, as the changes neared the final stages.

The whisker marks upon his face deepened changing from mere slits, to large deep furrows upon his face, his eyes narrowing dangerously, his heart rate quickening with a sickening rush of adrenaline.

Naruto's short blonde hair...roughened, for that is the best way to describe it, as it warped from spiky tame hair to something wild and unruly sticking out in every direction behind his mask.

The earth seemed to quake beneath him in fear, as the storm raged above them. A raw testament to the power he was building up.

His voice once calm and collected was now filled with wrathful fury. Now fully powered by the Kyuubi, Naruto looked Yoruichi stunned face as she surveyed the changes, he had wrought upon himself.

Somehow, the surprise his opponents faces of his transformation, never got old for him.

However, the odd thing here was-

That she was smiling, not a single trace of fear shown upon her lovely tan face, as she spoke.

"That's an unusual technique, but something tells me there's more to it than just a fancy light show."

Naruto gave a chortled a laugh, but its tone was dark and sinister.

Red light mixed with white, illuminating the space between them pink in color, as the earth under them began cracking and crumbling under the combined pressure of their powers.

**"Then prepare yourself."**

Swaying from side to side and grinning, Yoruichi waved him forward and quipped.

"Enough chit-chat fox-boy let's do this."

Each took a step forward, and then blurred out of sight before reappearing in the center, tightly clasping each other's hands hard enough to draw blood, their eyes narrowing, mouth's set in a grim line, a power struggle now in the works.

Naruto smiled first, exposing his canines and his opponent mirrored him, as a shout worked its way up their throats, and ripped its way out of their mouth's, their respective aura's flaring bright in response.

Lightning crashed through the sky, as the ground buckled further from them.

Naruto was the first to release and Yoruichi winced, as three lines of blood appeared upon her face, set on her left cheek from his wickedly sharp claws. However, moments later he doubled over from a vicious kick in the gut, one that collapsed his stomach inward, before he disappeared from sight, now coming from behind her.

His fist passed through air, as he hit an afterimage, which soon faded away.

_'Damn, she's fast!'_

Cursing, he too dissolved as Yoruichi phased behind him, her midair spin kick slicing through a translucent version of him as well. Yoruichi just smiled, disappearing as Naruto slashed down where her chest would have been, had she not used an afterimage.

_'Good, the gaki can at least keep up with me to some extent.'_

This game of cat and mouse or rather cat and fox seemed to go on endlessly, each one hitting a left behind image of their foe, so on and so forth. Finally, Naruto came in from above, his hands intertwined, and he swung downward hitting her solidly on the head, and knocking her to the ground. Only for her hands to slap out, thus breaking her fall, and allowing her to pivot and swing her left leg into his neck in a violent jarring kick that snapped his head to the right due to the impact, whilst his face twisted in pain.

Again they vanished from sight, leaving white and red shockwaves in their wake, moving too fast for the naked eye to see their clash.

But this was no mere battle, no simple contest of wills. This was the battle of a lifetime.

Reappearing briefly, they each cocked a fist back as they shot towards each other and when they connected with the fist of the other, a dome of pink light spread out, driving them apart, and back into the ground.

The two titans were all smiles as they skidded backwards, but Naruto slowed his skid early via digging his claws in, and upon grinding to a halt, got down on all fours, laughing aloud.

**"Not bad, Neko-san, however….."**

The very earth seemed to cry out in fear, as a _third _tail burst forth behind him shaking the stones around him violently, as his feral features progressed further until he could barely be recognized as a human being, yet still bore the appearance of one.

**"…I'm just getting started!"**

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

When Shunsui stepped out of the portal into Yamamoto's residence, he clearly was not expecting to encounter two beautiful young women who suddenly took up battle stances at his sudden appearance. And when his eyes fell onto Hinata his breath hitched in his throat and he immediately flash-stepped in front of her. Before Hinata had time to react, she suddenly found her hand being kissed, as Shunsui kneeled before her and waxed poetically.

"Oh radiant dark-haired beauty, there is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved. So I beseech you my fair-maiden, will you please grant me such happiness!"

Hinata was bewildered momentarily by this strange straw-hat wearing man kneeling before her when a stern shout rang out.

"Shunsui, stop making such a fool of yourself and conduct yourself properly as a Gotei 13 Captain! Why must you always lose control in a front of a girl? "

"But ol' Yama, she reminds me so much of my Lisa-chan and Nanao-chan."

"I don't care who she reminds you of behave yourself. Besides that young woman's heart already belongs to the man you just recently encountered."

"Naruto-sama has captured your heart! Oh what a lucky man he is to have such a beautiful treasure in his life."

"Th-thank you." Hinata nervously replied.

"Just who the Hell are you?" Yugito angrily questioned.

Shunsui turned his attention to Yugito and noticed her appearance

Yugito had long, straight, blonde, hair bound with taut bandages and dark eyes. She wore a short-sleeved black and purple blouse, black pants both of which were very torn and tattered leaving very little to the imagination of the woman's supple body. Shunsui could also sense she held a tremendous amount of chakra within her. Just as the straw hat wearing Gotei captain was about to introduce himself, he was interrupted.

"His name is Shunsui Kyoraku and he is the proctor of the first trial Naruto must go through, he is also one of my very first students." Yamamoto announced.

"If he is here, does that mean something has happened to Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked in a slightly panicked voice, while shielding Nel from Shunsui.

Yugito shot a glare at Hinata when she heard the Hyuga girl use a suffix with Naruto's name before quickly looking away. This did not go unnoticed by Shunsui, but putting his observation aside for the moment he answered Hinata's question.

"Naruto-sama is fine, I am merely here because I wish to accompany Naruto on his quest and he has graciously given me permission to do so."

_'Great another freaking weirdo to join the party, and I'm sure this guy is probably a bad-ass as well!' _Daisuke thought to himself.

"Thank Kami Naruto is alright. You see Nel; you don't have anything to worry about. Your Naru-chan will be back soon."

The little green-haired girl merely looked up and smiled at Hinata's words before pumping her fist in the air and yelling.

"Yaaaaaaayyyyyy, Naru-chan will be back toon, BELIEVE IT!"

"An Arrancar!" Shunsui exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes an Arrancar Shunsui, but she poses no danger. Now, since you are here am I correct to assume that young Naruto passed the first test and is and has already begun the second trial."

"Yeah, he should already be there. By the way ol' Yama what is the second trial anyway?"

"The second trial is of desire and whether or not he can resist it."

"Interesting, who'd you get to handle that test, Rangiku, Soi-fon? I know there's no way you could have gotten Urohara to do it."

"Indeed, no, the individual who is running that test volunteered for the assignment. She is one who enjoys the hunt more than the possible reward."

Shunsui thought about what his mentor had just said for a moment before his eyes lit up and he stammered.

"You, you don't mean its Yoruichi running that test!"

A single nod from Yamamoto answered the question before Shunsui slapped his hand to his forehead and exclaimed.

"Oh brother, Naruto doesn't stand a chance against resisting her!"

That statement made both Hinata and Yugito a bit nervous, before they both released some killing intent towards the straw-hat wearing captain and asked with a bit of edge to their voices.

"Who is this Yoruichi?"

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Author Notes: **Well I know it has been quite awhile since I updated this story, which unfortunately was a casualty of not having a functioning computer for nearly four months. However, I'm back now and I'll do my best to get a few more chapters revised and posted for your enjoyment over the next couple of weeks before I have to return to my main story. In fact I just posted the latest chapter to that story a couple of days ago and if you haven't checked it out yet, I urge you to do so. Anyway, here is chapter 16 and I'm very curious to see what everyone thought about the chapter. My thanks again to everyone for your continued support, now onto the news and something I could really use your help on.

**News:**

For the past few chapters I've alerted my readers to a couple of polls set up on each of their accounts by the fine authors brown phantom and Zentary asking the question.

**Who is the best Naruto fanfic writer on this site?**

Zentary's poll has remained open and is still active.

Regrettably, brown phantom has ended his poll on this question. However, he has started a new poll asking,

**Which is the best Naruto fan fiction story on this site?**

So I humbly ask if you feel I'm worthy of being one of your 10 picks to please place a vote for me in Zentary's poll. And if you feel this story or any of my stories are worthy of nomination in brown phantom's new poll. I thank you in advance for your support and the links to the profile pages for both brown phantom and Zentary are listed below.

brown phantom http:/www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/u/1634435/

Zentary http:/www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/u/2022054/

**End of News:**

I'm still very pleased that this revised story seems to be a hit with most people. I also want to thank those readers who take the time to leave a review for the tale. They're very helpful in letting me know how the story is progressing with all of you. And they really do assist an author out in knowing what people like about a story. Thanks again to everyone for all of your support.

Take it easy and be good!

_**Kingkakashi**_


	17. Desire and Temptation Pt2

**Do I Have A Purpose Anymore?**

**Chapter 17: "Desire and Temptation Pt.2"**

***Warning, this chapter does contain a bit of mild adult content in the final scene.**

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Yoruichi visibly stiffened when Naruto's third tale burst forth and she felt the tremendous power emanating from him, causing even the earth itself to quake in fear.

'_What is this power coming from this boy? It's a form of kido I've never seen or experienced before, where is he getting it from?' _Yoruichi thought, before a loud roar erupted over the battlefield.

As Naruto roared, his demonic chakra extended from him with devastating results. This outward destructive sphere of chakra was so intense it began to destroy the surrounding landscape and violently push back onto Yoruichi.

Quickly realizing the seriousness of the situation, Yoruichi began to channel huge amounts of concentrated energy before a massive explosion erupted around her body incinerating her clothing on her back and shoulders, but leaving herself very much unharmed. Naruto gazed at the woman before him in wonderment, as she raised her hand towards him and spoke in a tone laced with admiration.

"I'm impressed, I rarely use this technique due to its overwhelming power and difficulty in controlling, but you've made me use it twice."

A red claw of chakra lunged at her, but Yoruichi split it straight down the middle with a single swipe of her hand before saying.

"However judging by the power you're now generating, I know it's the only attack I have that can defeat you."

Yoruichi began to walk, and then sped up moving far faster than before. Her voice soft and silky in its tone, but you could _feel _the desire for battle beneath it.

"Prepare yourself Naruto-kun, this won't be pretty."

**"Bring it!"** Naruto growled in confidence.

"As you wish… Shunko!" (Flash Release)

Naruto roared once more, as he unleashed another destructive sphere of demonic chakra, which collided with Yoruichi's attack of pure white energy shooting forth from her hand. As the two attacks met, point blank, the coalescing energies whipped around one another seeking dominance while creating a pink hue over the battlefield.

Both Naruto and Yoruichi were pouring everything they had into their attacks, but to no avail, as each attack counteracted the other one in power and intensity.

Gritting his teeth and gathering his demonic chakra to its maximum limit without losing control or his sanity. The blond Jinchuuriki unleashed one final burst of energy, one he was sure would end this battle once and for all.

With one final scream, he let everything loose.

**"RAAAAAAAGH!"**

Yet at the exact same moment, Yoruichi let loose the last of her kido, and sent it screaming towards the impeding wave of red-

Everything, even time itself, froze for a moment.

Then a _massive_ explosion rocked the battlefield and the subsequent shockwave blew both combatants away from one another.

Steam drifted up into the clouds and seconds later, rain began to fall.

A few minutes later, as the dust began to settle over the landscape, then cleared away by the steady pitter-patter of water, the two beleaguered opponents staggered their way towards one another.

Their clothing was in tatters due to the explosion, and both were bleeding from various cuts on their bodies, as they came to a halt in front of one another.

Naruto no longer in his three-tailed state shakily took up a Taijutsu stance before he heard the neko woman state in a sultry voice.

"It's over Naruto-kun; I'm now yours to command do with me as you wish"

Naruto stared wide-eyed at Yoruichi as she removed the tattered remains of all of her clothing and stood naked before him, her hands sensually gliding over her dark-toned supple body.

"B-but I haven't defeated you yet." Naruto stammered in confusion after pulling off his mask.

Yoruichi giggled before she stepped forward and stroked Naruto cheek with her hand, her ample naked breasts mere inches form his own bare chest, as she cooed seductively in his ear.

"There's no point in continuing, you've won, I've exhausted all of my power, but if you would still like to expend some energy. I can think of more pleasurable ways to do that other than fighting."

Naruto didn't understand what the tanned beauty before him had meant until he felt her hand slip inside the waistband of his torn pants and grip his now growing member. Yoruichi other hand grabbed the back of Naruto's head and pulled the stunned man into a soul-searing kiss, her tongue lashing at his own inside his mouth. Naruto's eyes glazed over before they rolled to the back of his head and he fell backwards landing on the ground with a thud. The stress of the battle and of Yoruichi's ministrations upon his senses proving to be too much for the young Jinchuuriki to handle.

Yoruichi snickered at this, as she knelt down and draped her naked form over Naruto's prone body, as the stress of the battle caught up with her as well and she too collapsed unconscious.

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Meanwhile, two of Konoha's elite Jounin were making their way through a forest in search of their wayward students. Kurenai was deeply concerned about Hinata and wanted to find the young girl before Kiba did. After talking to Shino before they left, Kurenai had no doubt that violence would be the outcome if Kiba managed to reach Hinata first. She and Kakashi had pushed themselves greatly to cover as much ground as they had.

The sun would be setting soon, and they needed to establish a camp somewhere. But Kurenai felt they could go a few more miles before they had to stop for the night. Looking over at Kakashi, she truly wondered how her partner on this mission never seemed to trip or lose his footing while keeping his nose buried in that damn orange book of his.

Bursting through an opening in the forest, the two Jounin came upon a deep chasm with a river running through it. Stopping to catch their breath, they silently pondered how to overcome this obstacle before Kakashi spoke up and said.

"I believe there is town five to six miles downriver we could go to that has a ferry and cross there. We do you think Kurenai?"

Kurenai did not want to lose any time by detouring to this town and struggled to come up with another solution before her eyes fell upon a rope and wood planked bridge 200 yards from their position. Pointing to her find, Kurenai spoke up and replied.

"We don't need to do that, there's a rope bridge over there. We can use it to cross and we won't lose anytime."

As the two Jounin approached the bridge, its crude and unkempt condition became clearer to them. After careful inspection, Kakashi turned to the crimson-eyed kunoichi and said.

"I think we should go to the town and cross there. This bridge has seen better days, and I've no desire to take a cold bath in that river right now."

"Are we afraid of a little water Kakashi?"

The silver-haired Jounin gave her a deadpanned look before declaring.

"No, I'm afraid of the 600 foot drop to the water."

Growling, she shoved him to one side.

"Well, do what you want. But we'll lose too much time going to that town, so I'm going to cross here."

His hand on her shoulder stopped her.

"I don't think you should do that.

Fiercely, perhaps with more force than was necessary, she violently slapped his hand away and stalked over to the bridge.

"Don't tell me what do Kakashi! I want to find Hinata and the others as soon as possible. Unlike you, I actually care about this mission!" Kurenai snapped this in annoyance and anger before stepping onto the bridge, slowly and carefully making her way across.

After Kurenai was about halfway across, she turned to look back at Kakashi who was still standing at the entrance eyeing her carefully. Calling back to him, Kurenai stated with a little smugness ringing in her voice.

"You see, this bridge is fine."

It was but a moment later the sound of snapping greeted the ears of the two Konoha Jounin, as one of the support ropes between her and Kakashi broke. Suddenly, one side of the bridge to fell vertical, which in turn sent Kurenai falling before she was able to grab onto the remaining support rope.

Unfortunately, this action caused Kurenai to lose her field pack and all her supplies, as she could do nothing but hang on for dear life while it all dropped into the churning water below her.

As Kurenai attempted to pull herself up, she heard that same snapping sound and looked over to see that the remaining support rope was breaking, resigning herself to a choice of either being slammed into the cliff-side with the bridge, or letting go of the rope she clung to and taking her chances with the river.

Kurenai was just about to let go when Kakashi leapt over and encircled his arm around her waist while grabbing the remaining support rope…just as it broke.

As the bridge and its two occupants swung in a downward arc towards the cliff-side, Kakashi used his body to buffer Kurenai from the impact and take it all himself.

"Oooooomph!" Kakashi grunted, as he slammed into the cliff-side. Upon impact, Kakashi also felt a couple of stinging pops from his ribcage before a wave of pain flooded his mind, as he thought to himself.

'_Damn, with this pain shooting through me I can't concentrate and focus enough chakra to my feet to climb up the cliff face with Kurenai. I guess I'll have to do this the hard-way.'_

Gritting his teeth, the one-eyed shinobi said to Kurenai in a choked voice.

"K-Kurenai climb onto my back and I'll get us out of here."

"Hai."

Kurenai deftly maneuvered onto Kakashi's back while locking her hands to her arms around his throat without choking the silver haired nin. Once this was accomplished, Kakashi began the arduous and painful task of climbing up the rope with Kurenai hanging onto him like a backpack.

A short time later, a wheezing Kakashi with Kurenai in tow, crawled over the top of the cliff and lay panting on the ground. Each breath of air he took was like a knife to the chest due to his broken ribs. As Kakashi lay there trying to control his pain, he heard Kurenai quietly speak up and say with repentance.

"Th-thank you for saving me Kakashi, I should have listened to you earlier, my rush to find Hinata nearly cost me my life because of my foolishness."

Tears welled, slightly in her eyes. "If you hadn't been here, I don't know what would have happened...

Sorrow etched into her face. "I'm sorry I didn't listen to you."

Kakashi gazed at the forlorn look on Kurenai's face and could hear the regret in her voice. Kakashi had always considered Kurenai one of the most beautiful women he had known, but he also knew she was also a very prideful woman. Struggling a bit to sit up, he did not like seeing her in such a penitent state.

He needed to say something to snap her out of her self-abasement, and thought of the perfect thing although he knew he would pay for it later on.

"It's alright Kurenai think nothing of it. I just have one question for you, have you put on weight?"

Immediately all thoughts of remorse and self-reproach flew out of Kurenai's mind upon hearing Kakashi's query.

_'Why you!'_

Just as she was about to tear him apart limb from limb, she watched as his lone visible eye rolled to the back of his head and he flopped to the ground once more. Kurenai sensing this was not an act or joke on Kakashi's part quickly rushed over to him.

She saw that Kakashi was indeed unconscious and she then noticed for the first time that his arm was clutching to his side. Tearing open his shirt, Kurenai saw the ugly black and blue discoloring around his ribcage and realized that Kakashi had carried her all the way up that cliff with broken ribs and never said a word to her.

Shaking her head in admiration as well as concern for her fellow Jounin, Kurenai dragged Kakashi over to a small cropping of trees to shade themselves while she tended to his injuries.

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

As Hinata tucked Nel into bed, Yugito kept a close eye on the Hyuga girl, before glancing over to see Shunsui and Yamamoto wrapped up in their own conversation keeping their distance from the two women, as they had been less than pleased after hearing about Naruto's second trial and of Yoruichi's description. Daisuke was soundly asleep in a chair and snoring softly, as he had stuck tissue paper in his nose to prevent any loud and obnoxious snoring.

This seemed to be the perfect opportunity to speak to the Hyuga girl about something that has been nagging in Yugito's mind the whole day.

Calling over to the lavender-eyed girl, the two women quietly slipped into another room and sat down before Hinata asked.

"What is it you wish to speak to me about Yugito-san?"

Her rich brown eyes suddenly bored into Hinata's pale lavender ones.

"Why'd you do it?"

Confused, she asked the obvious question.

"Why did I do what Yugito-san?"

At this, thinking she was playing dumb, Yugito's tone of voice became harder edged.

"Why did you save me from that trap in the hallway earlier today?"

"I don't understand your question Yugito-san, why wouldn't I try and save you?"

Bitterness now entered Yugito's tone.

"Oh I don't know princess? How about the fact that I don't know you and you don't know me! Why would you risk your life for a total freaking stranger? If the situation had been reversed, I _wouldn't_ have saved you."

Hinata paused a moment, as she formulated a response before quietly saying.

"I understand Yugito-san, and that's alright. I guess I saved you out of instinct, but I don't regret it. I know you're important to Naruto-kun-

And flashing a warm smile.

-so that means you're also important to me."

"That doesn't make any sense princess."

"Perhaps it doesn't Yugito-san, but I love Naruto-kun, so anything or anyone he cares about I will care about as well."

A tense moment hung in the air, before Hinata spoke up again.

"Can I ask you a question Yugito-san?"

"What?"

Pausing, the Hyuga heiress took a deep breath before speaking.

"Do you love Naruto-kun?"

Yugito blushed slightly at Hinata's question before turning her head to the side and growling.

"Grrrr, I don't know how I feel about the blonde gaki! After what happened to me at the hands of the Akatsuki, I'm not sure what love is anymore. But when I'm around him I feel things that I've never felt before."

She tilted her head to one side, and her voice softened.

"Maybe that's love."

Yugito's face then hardened back into frustration and exclaimed.

"Gah, I don't know! All I do know is that he's important to me-

She now glares darkly at Hinata.

"Which is why I don't want to see him hurt anymore, something I know you've done to him in the past!"

Hinata dropped her head slightly as the memory of what had happened between her and Naruto three years ago flashed across her mind. Shaking her head to drive the memory away and focus upon the reconciliation the two had shared hours earlier. Hinata looked up to Yugito and said with confidence and sincerity.

"I will never hurt Naruto ever again, I would rather die first."

Yugito stared at the Hyuga girl and tried to find any sense or indication that the girl was lying. However, her neko instincts confirmed that Hinata was telling the truth.

Huffing in annoyance at this, Yugito grumbled and looked away with her arms crossed over her ample chest, an area in which much to her irritation the Hyuga girl rivaled her in.

"See that you don't or else you'll have to answer to me princess."

Enough was enough; Hinata was tired of being called that.

"Yugito-san, my name is Hinata."

Hinata then gripped the Yugito's shoulder, and forced her to look in her direction.

"Look, I don't want to fight with you Yugito-san that would cause Naruto-kun pain. I know Naruto-kun cares for you or you wouldn't be here with him and I accept that."

A pleading tone enters her voice now.

"Can you do the same with me? I don't want to be your enemy, I would much rather be your friend if you will give me the chance?"

Yugito pondered Hinata's question for a moment before hesitantly saying.

"I-I don't know prince….Hinata? I've never had a friend before, how, how do we begin?"

"Well, since Naruto-kun is the bond we share, why don't we start with how you and Naruto first met, and then I'll tell you how Naruto and I first met and we'll go from there."

It was slow going at first, but eventually both women began to open up about themselves and talked throughout the night. When Naruto returned, he would be seeing a much different relationship between the two women than had been there before he left; he would be seeing a friendship.

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Kakashi awoke with a start and noticed that the sky was dark and dotted with stars. This was interesting, as his last memory had been of the sun shining down upon him.

Wincing as he rose from his sleeping bag, Kakashi then took note that he was also shirtless and that he had bandages wrapped tightly around his torso and ribs. It was then he heard Kurenai comment.

"So, you're finally awake again, that's good to see."

He looked around, before he finally spied her.

"How long was I out and where are we?"

"About four hours and we're about a mile from the bridge, it's as far as I could drag you."

A wicked glint then entered her eyes, as she stared at Kakashi who suddenly thought.

'_Uh-oh.'_

"Tell me Kakashi, have you put on weight?" Kurenai tersely asked.

Kakashi winced again at the tone of Kurenai's question before saying as contritely as he could:

"I'm sorry for my earlier remark Kurenai, I didn't mean it. I just wanted you to focus on something else other than the bridge fiasco at that time. I wasn't trying to insult or hurt you."

Kurenai's face softened upon hearing Kakashi's response, and a small pang of guilt tugged at her heart before saying.

"No Kakashi, _I'm_ the one who should be apologizing. You got hurt saving me from that bridge 'fiasco' as you call it. I'm very sorry about that. Why didn't you tell me you had broken some ribs by doing that? It must have been hell for you to breathe while climbing that rope carrying me."

He winced at the mention of his ribs, but still managed to speak.

"It didn't matter at the time; there was nothing we could do about it while we were dangling from that rope."

He shrugged, but instantly regretted it, as pain screamed through his body.

"So I didn't think it was necessary to tell you about it."

"I suppose your right, but I still feel badly that you were injured because of my recklessness."

"You've already apologized for that Kurenai and I accept it. Besides, my ribs don't feel nearly as bad as they did, and they didn't get bandaged up by themselves. So thank you for taking care of me while I was indisposed."

Kurenai blushed a little bit and was thankful that it was nighttime so Kakashi couldn't see it, as the memory of his well-toned chest and abs flashed across crimson-eyed woman's mind.

Kurenai stammered slightly as she replied.

"It-it was nothing Kakashi. I used a bone mending jutsu Hinata had taught me, and if I did it correctly your ribs should be fully healed in a few days."

"Well, I'd say you did an excellent job, I'm not feeling near the amount of pain I was earlier." Kakashi absently commented before looking across and seeing Kurenai shivering in the moonlight.

Kakashi then realized how cold it had gotten that night and said with concern.

"Kurenai, why don't you get some rest and warm up in your sleeping bag you're shivering."

"I-I lost my sleeping bag and all of my supplies in the river remember."

Kakashi had forgotten about that and taking a moment to assess their situation, he reached over and opened the flap to his sleeping bag and held it open to silently invite Kurenai to share his sleeping bag with him.

Kurenai blushed even more at this action by her silver haired comrade and said with cynicism.

"You must be joking? I'm not getting into that thing with you!"

Kakashi merely sighed at the Genjutsu mistress's response before saying.

It's either that or you freeze tonight. Besides, you act as though I'm doing this for some perverted reason."

"Aren't you?" She hissed back.

A hurt/prideful tone entered Kakashi's voice. "Please Kurenai; I would do this for any of my Shinobi comrades."

"Like who?" She snapped back.

Kakashi paused a moment to think before stating.

"Well besides you, Anko-chan, Yugao-chan, Shizune-chan, Tsunade-sama, lots of people."

She shot him a withering glare. "_Exactly_, I noticed all of your examples happened to be kunoichi's."

His lone visible eye curved upwards into his infamous eye-smile and he rolled his shoulders in a shrug.

"They were? I hadn't noticed."

A twisted idea hit her.

"Tell me Kakashi, would you be making this same offer to Gai if he was here?"

Kakashi's breath hitched in his throat for a moment at the unnerving thought of that prospect before he declared:

"Gai has his flames of youth to keep him warm Kurenai, _you_ don't."

Kurenai thought about this for a moment before a stiff wind blew through their encampment causing her to shiver even more. Turning back to Kakashi, she nervously said.

O-ok, I'll accept your offer. But if you try _anything_ funny, you won't see the morning you got that!"

He raised his hands, in a placating gesture of surrender.

"Nothing funny I swear, besides I'm curious about a Konoha urban myth anyway."

Hesitantly, Kurenai crawled into the sleeping bag and snuggled up against Kakashi, while he tentatively wrapped his arms around her to warm her up.

As she got comfortable, Kurenai thought back to Kakashi's strange comment about a Konoha urban myth and asked:

"Kakashi, what did you mean about being curious about a Konoha urban myth?"

"Well Kurenai, there has been a myth floating around in the Leaf village for a few years that if any man got into bed with the Genjutsu Ice Queen of Konoha they would be frozen instantly."

Her face flushed a bright, beet red, as he went on.

"I must say I'm pleased to dispel that myth, as I'm very comfortable at the moment." Kakashi replied while chuckling, which earned him an elbow to his stomach and Kurenai stating.

"I don't freeze the men instantly Kakashi, but you may very well find yourself frozen by the morning!"

Kakashi paused a moment, before he wrapped his arms a little tighter around Kurenai and replied.

"I'll risk it."

Kurenai blushed again at this and gave a small smile before she let herself drift off to sleep.

**XxxxxxxFinal Scenexxxxxxxx**

(Hours later)

Naruto's eyes opened sharply and he looked about himself, as rain was plinking in his eyes at a haphazard pace.

Zangetsu was now resting in his hand, and with it he felt a tad more relaxed, as he squeezed it reflexively.

Yet he also felt a weight on his chest and upon looking found Yoruichi's honeysuckle yellow eyes staring into his, while her naked body was draped over his.

"What the hell?" Naruto exclaimed, as he scrambled out from under Yoruichi and quickly rose to his feet.

The bewildered look on Naruto's face brought a wry smile to Yoruichi's face as she felt victory would soon be hers, before she began to bewitchingly crawl on all fours towards the young man who seemed to be mesmerized by her movements. Upon reaching her sexual prey, Yoruichi rose up onto her toes a little to brush her lips against his in a slow lingering movement that caused their lips to latch onto each other. Yoruichi's lips tasted like sweet honey to Naruto and he heard the neko woman whimper in pleasure, as she happily accepted his warm tongue, as it began to battle with her own. Their tongues snaked around with one another inside her mouth both of them fighting for control.

Sighing as she gave in and let Naruto take full control, Yoruichi melted into the kiss and to him, molding her body against his perfect one, as she allowed him to dominate her. Yoruichi hand began to caress Naruto's six-pack stomach, his ribs and finally his nipples, the other hand grabbing his well-toned ass and giving it a squeeze.

Naruto moaned loudly at this action, as the Kyuubi shouted in his mind.

**TAKE THIS WOMAN NOW KIT!**

Naruto's eyes flared red and before spinning Yoruichi around and pulling her back into his chest, while at the same loosening his torn pants and stepping out of them

Reaching around with both hands to grab and fondle Yoruichi's ample breasts, Naruto's tongue slid along her ear and he growled with desire.

"You really want this you sexy minx!"

"Ahhh…" Yoruichi shrieked, as he tugged her earlobe into his mouth, sucking on it harshly, scraping over it with his teeth.

"I, I, I,…" Was all Yoruichi could stammer in pleasure, when Naruto began dragging his tongue down and around the nape of her neck. Naruto could taste the soft and alluring fragrance of her skin mixed with the small beads of sweat that were forming from her need and of his proximity to her, as he bit down on the nape of her neck.

Yoruichi moaned loudly and she ground her hips back against him, before her eyes grew wide, as she felt Naruto's member sliding along the folds of her pussy. In desperation to feel Naruto inside of her the Neko woman whimpered.

"Pl, please Naruto-kun!"

"Please what my little minx?" Naruto coolly replied, as he felt Yoruichi pushing back against him in frantic need, gasping at the feel of his hardness sliding back and forth between her moistening folds.

"PL, please take, take me now!" Yoruichi cried out.

Naruto laughed and continued to teasingly stroke her, resting his head against her shoulder so that he could nibble on her neck, while he reached down line himself up at her entrance and finally give Yoruichi what she desired. However, just as he was about thrust deep inside her, an image of Hinata flashed across his mind as before and he remembered her words prior to the start of these trials.

'**Just know that I will always love you no matter what, that I will always be here for you.'**

Then mustering up all the strength he could, Naruto roared in frustration as he pushed Yoruichi away from him.

"NO…!"

Yoruichi was stunned by this as turned around to see Naruto putting his pants back on as he growled out with conviction.

"No, I will not betray Hinata like this!"

Although frustrated, Yoruichi couldn't help but be amazed that Naruto had resisted her and taking a deep breath to try and calm herself down said.

"Congratulations Naruto-kun, now you've truly won and passed the second trial."

"What, what do you mean? I thought you said I had already won."

Behind Yoruichi, the sun began to shine peeking out from behind the gray clouds and illuminating her naked form. And for a moment Naruto had wondered where he had found the strength to turn-away such an exquisite beauty, when he heard her answer.

"Well, that was a bit of a fib on my account. You see this test was not of combat, but rather you're ability to resist desire and temptation, which aggravatingly enough you just did."

"Just barely." Naruto grumbled in shame to himself.

"Don't beat yourself up Naruto-kun. The amount of pheromones I've been giving off since we began our little dance yesterday is immense. Quite frankly, I expected you to throw me down and take me the moment I surrendered to you. I don't know who this Hinata is, but she's definitely got a power over you to resist me" Yoruichi stated with a little annoyance and frustration in her voice.

Naruto was about to say something when a familiar hum echoes in his ears, as the dimensional rift opened behind Yoruichi.

"Well, come on, it's time for us to go."

"Go where?" He grumbles, as he rises to his feet, his Zanpaktou shimmering in the morning light.

She winks and steps one foot through.

"Where do you think, back to old man Yamamoto's."

Naruto eyes suddenly grow wide with alarm, as he realizes Yoruichi is still naked and he shouted out in a panic.

"You're still naked, don't you want to put on some clothes first!"

"I'll just get some on the other side." Yoruichi calmly replied, before grabbing Naruto's hand and yanking him into the portal.

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Author Notes: **Well here is chapter 17 for your approval and enjoyment. I had to do some serious revisions on a couple of key points from the original story. The first major revision was changing Naruto's second trial from a combat test to desire and temptation. And as part of that the touch of lemon I had to introduce as part of that trial. Anyway, I hope anyone wasn't put off by that, I tried to make it as tame as I could. So, I'm very curious to see what everyone thought about the chapter. My thanks again to everyone for your continued support, now onto the news and something I could really use your help on.

**News:**

For the past few chapters I've alerted my readers to a couple of polls set up on each of their accounts by the fine authors brown phantom and Zentary asking the question.

**Who is the best Naruto fanfic writer on this site?**

Zentary's poll has remained open and is still active.

Regrettably, brown phantom has ended his poll on this question. However, he has started a new poll asking,

**Which is the best Naruto fan fiction story on this site?**

So I humbly ask if you feel I'm worthy of being one of your 10 picks to please place a vote for me in Zentary's poll. And if you feel this story or any of my stories are worthy of nomination in brown phantom's new poll. I thank you in advance for your support and the links to the profile pages for both brown phantom and Zentary are listed below.

brown phantom http:/www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/u/1634435/

Zentary http:/www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/u/2022054/

**End of News:**

I'm still very pleased that this revised story seems to be a hit with most people. I also want to thank those readers who take the time to leave a review for the tale. They're very helpful in letting me know how the story is progressing with all of you. And they really do assist an author out in knowing what people like about a story. Thanks again to everyone for all of your support.

Take it easy and be good!

_**Kingkakashi**_


	18. Naruto's Uncomfortable Return

**Do I Have A Purpose Anymore?**

**Chapter 18: "Naruto's Uncomfortable Return"**

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

One minute all was silent.

Then like a clap of thunder, it screamed into existence.

Everyone was suddenly jolted out of their slumber, when a portal began forming inside Yamamoto's domicile screeching and howling into the night.

The Head Captain and Commander of the Gotei 13 continued sipping his tea, as if this miniature hurricane were nothing, unable to see, but his sixth sense could tell that there was a drastic change in the air and commented.

"It seems that young Naruto has passed his second trial."

Yamamoto ignored the fierce wind that whipped at his long beard, as he calmly gazed into the abyss and faintly detected two chakra signatures.

"So it would seem." Shunsui lazily replied, as he stretched his arms out and yawned loudly.

The wind suddenly tossed Daisuke's chair over, instantly waking him.

"Whuzzat?" He grumbled, picking himself up with a snort, before being knocked over again by Hinata and Yugito who burst into the room

Both women gazed at the wildly fluctuating dimensional rip, unaware of their comrade's pain.

The Hyuga heiress and the Nibi container had only recently fallen asleep after spending most of the night talking with one another.

"Is it Naruto-kun?" Murmured the Hyuga heiress, as she peered into the hole with her Byakugan, but saw nothing.

"If it _is_ him, he sure knows how to make an entrance." Quipped Yugito, her arms crossed before her chest, as the vortex was fluctuating fiercely and casting everyone's hair wildly about.

Something began to emerge and everyone waited with baited breath.

Hinata nervously wrung her hands together, the suspense was _killing _her.

'_Naruto-kun, please be alright...'_

Slowly, a figure emerged from its dark depths and when she stepped into the room, everyone's breath seemed to hitch in their throat simultaneously, as Yoruichi was the first to emerge in all of her naked glory

When Hinata and Yugito saw her in this au natural state, their killing intent spiked, as the two young women instantly formed a bond with one another. That bond being Yoruichi was their common enemy after already hearing about Naruto's second trial and who and what it entailed earlier from Yamamoto. Therefore, upon the entrance of the gorgeous goddess, Yoruichi was promptly greeted by two vicious glares and massive combined killer intent, as they both Hinata and Yugito took up battle stances.

"Who are you?" Yugito hissed as her hand strayed to her kunai holster.

The neko woman arched a violet eyebrow and raised her hands pleadingly.

"Easy girls, I don't bite….well not always."

Yoruichi suddenly noticed Shunsui and greeted her old friend.

"It's been a while hasn't it Shun-kun."

The man in the straw hat could only nod as he couldn't tear his eyes away from Yoruichi before he finally stammered.

"Hai, you're, you're looking ummmm…look, looking well Yoru-chan."

Hinata and Yugito's eyes narrowed even further, as their killing intent rose even higher after seeing Shunsui's reaction towards Yoruichi.

Sensing this Yamamoto promptly asked changing the subject, as the Jinchuuriki still had yet to appear.

"Where is young Naruto Yoruichi?"

The woman looked behind to the portal, as a voice rang out.

"I'm right here."

Seconds later, Naruto emerged behind the tanned beauty, sliding out of the shimmering black liquid wearing only Zangetsu strapped to his back and the tattered remnants of his pants. Naruto's eyes scanned the room slowly, first to Shunsui then to Yugito. Before falling at last upon Hinata who had instantly relaxed her stance forgetting all about Yoruichi the moment she saw Naruto and walked up to him to embrace and place a loving kiss upon his lips, seconds later. After a minute, she reluctantly broke away and stared at Yoruichi before asking in hard-edged tone of voice, which did not go unnoticed by Naruto.

"Naru-kun, who is she?"

"Yoruichi Shihoin." Yamamoto stated to which the neko rolled her eyes, as he launched into an elaborate explanation, of her being a princess.

_"Former _princess, I left that life you old coot!"

The elderly man let his words die off, as a certain female Jinchuuriki shot a heated glare at Yoruichi before she asked.

"So what's she doing here and more importantly why is she naked?"

The Nibi container eyed the dark-tanned woman warily, as if she was a threat.

"Easy Yugito-chan, Yoruichi is going to accompany us and the reason she is naked is ummmm…well…we kind of destroyed our clothing during the trial, but she could at least put something on now!" Naruto hesitantly stated and silently prayed that he would not have to further elaborate to Hinata and Yugito about his trial and what had almost transpired.

Unfortunately, Yoruichi could sense Naruto's discomfort and still a bit annoyed that he had resisted her and with a wicked grin stated in a voice oozing with sex-appeal, while mimicking Hinata's address of Naruto.

"I don't remember you complaining about us being naked during the trial Naru-kun."

A tick mark appeared on Yugito's forehead and a look of shock and hurt flashed across Hinata's face, before she bit it back looking away.

The Nibi vessel looked ready to _kill _Yoruichi, but before anything could happen. Naruto caught sight of the brief look of hurt on Hinata's face and reached out for her before a door opened with a small creak and everyone looked in that direction when a small voice called out.

"Naru-kun?"

There standing in the doorway was a sleepy Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck blearily rubbing her eyes and holding a stuffed teddy bear in her arms.

Immediately, Naruto was across the room, kneeling down before his surrogate daughter.

"You shouldn't be up, little one, it's very late."

Then he was patting her head affectionately, as she realized he was back and hugged him tightly.

"I'm not (yawn) tired..."

Naruto bent down further, to pick her up.

"Come on, back to bed for you."

Yet it was too late for such a thing, as now Nel had noticed Yoruichi and her young eyes glittered with curiosity.

With a speed not possible for one so young, she wriggled away from Naruto, and quickly approached the neko woman. For a moment, they just stared at each other then Nel raised her arms clearly indicating that she wanted to be held, her lower lip jutting out in a pout, as Yoruichi exclaimed and took a step backwards.

"She's an Arrancar!"

Nel bore a confused look upon her face at Yoruichi's reaction towards her, before Naruto scooped her up into his arms from behind and shot a glare towards Yoruichi letting the woman silently know he was less than pleased by her reaction towards the green-haired little girl.

Realizing her error, Yoruichi took it in stride, as she strode over and bent down to tickle the little girl, drawing a giggle from the child. Naruto then told Nel to bid everyone goodnight before he marched back to the bedroom to put the little Arrancar to bed once more.

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Akamaru suddenly stiffened, then yipped, awakening Kiba and Sakura from their slumber, as that malevolent glint shone in Kiba's eyes again.

"You caught his scent boy?"

The dog barked, as it got up and hastened into a run.

"Hey!"

This forced Kiba and Sakura to quickly jump to their feet and chase after Akamaru, as the dog was now outdistancing them quickly.

Sakura's mind worked in overdrive, as they ran after the canine.

What would she do?

What could she say to him that would prevent him from likely attacking her on the spot?

Kiba gave a triumphant cry, as he leapt after his dog.

"GOT 'EM!" Kiba exclaimed after he heard a crashing sound.

However, when the Jounin rounded the bend, Kiba's canine familiar partner had fallen into a deep camouflaged pit of which he could not escape causing the canine to whimper piteously.

On the ground lay one of Naruto's shirts, the source of his scent.

Kiba growled, and shredded the fabric to pieces with his clawed hands.

"What the hell is a trap doing way out here?"

Ino smirked, as she withdrew from Akamaru and back into her body, which had been held by Sasuke lest she fall back out of the tree, as the blonde kunoichi thought to herself.

'_That'll slow you down!'_

The Uchiha released the blond promptly, and hefted a smoke bomb in one hand.

With a sharp twist of his wrist, he lobbed the smoke bomb and it exploded between Sakura and Kiba, billowing purple smoke out around them, their coughs heard from the cloud.

_'And this'll give us a lead.'_

Sasuke and Ino hit the ground running, and passed through the cloud of smoke each landing a rather brutal blow across Kiba and Sakura knocking them unconscious. Thus buying the two Anbu time to get away, and when the smoke had dissipated, they were out of sight leaving Kiba and Sakura none the wiser.

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

As they sprang through the trees, Sasuke took note that Ino was silent before a question popped into his mind and he asked.

"Hey, why did you have one of Naruto's shirt's with you?"

A glare gave him his answer.

"Why do you think?" Ino snapped, before her mind drifted away to a remorseful memory.

**(Flashback: 2 1/2 years ago)**

"You're not alone you know."

Naruto suddenly erupted into a harsh laughter causing Ino to cringe slightly, as he replied.

"Sakura gave me that line a long time ago."

Ino's eyes narrowed at the mention of Sakura's name and Naruto realized he needed to change the subject and said.

"Shouldn't you be tending to your flower shop?"

A bouquet of red roses was suddenly shoved into his arms and he did a double take, as he saw the three words attached to the card.

"You're-you're kidding me." Naruto stammered in a hesitant tone of voice.

"N-no Naruto-kun I'm not, I, I love you."

Naruto's face took on an ashen appearance, as he tried to come to grips with what Ino had just declared. After a few minutes of muted silence, Ino couldn't take it anymore.

Pleadingly, she spoke.

"Please say something!"

Naruto looked over to the beautiful blonde kunoichi and hesitantly stammered.

"I, I don't know what to say Ino. I've had two other people say that to me and both times I got my heart crushed in return. You've been a good friend to me since, since….._the wedding_."

Naruto shook his head to clear himself of the memory.

"I-I don't think I could have survived these past six months without you. I admit I've grown close to you Ino, quite fond of you actually."

Noticing how close he had gotten, he took a step back before apprehensively saying.

"But I don't want to jeopardize our friendship, by seeking something more, no matter how much I might want to Ino."

Tears welled in her eyes and her lower lip trembled.

"But why, I want us to be more than friends and it sounds like you would like that too?"

"Be-because Ino, I'm afraid if I allow myself to love you and something was to happen to us?"

He stamped a foot, shaking his head rapidly.

"I don't think I can take that kind of pain anymore Ino."

"Please Naruto-kun, I know you're scared of loving someone because of what's happened to you in the past, I understand that."

Naruto backed up as she stepped forward.

"But please give me a chance to show you that I can be the one you can love and that I can love you back, like I already do."

As Naruto listened to the soft caring plea of his friend, his mind was in turmoil about what to say or do. It didn't help when Ino crawled into his lap while he was thinking while resting her arms on his shoulders.

It was then Naruto looked up and truly took in the appearance of the young blonde goddess before him.

Ino was wearing smooth black leather tank top which hugged her upper torso tightly, but was also short enough to show her lean and bare midriff. The lower half of Ino's voluptuous body was encased in tight black jeans that seemed to be painted upon her. The clothes revealed all of Ino's sultry curves giving her a look of sensuous beauty, as they contrasted with her flawless alabaster skin.

Naruto couldn't help but blush at the amount of cleavage she was showing by moving so close to him, his back now leaned against the tree, her breath hot on his face.

Naruto looked deep into Ino's eyes before softly asking.

"Do you mean it Ino-chan, do you really love me?"

"I meant every word Naruto-kun, and I promise I'll never hurt you." She whispered before closing the gap and claiming him with her long awaited lips.

A gust of wind blew wildly as their kiss deepened, as his tongue sharply slid through her willingly parted mouth.

Their tongues encircled each other, a throaty moan escaping both blonde's.

Ino's arms wrapped tightly around his neck, as she threw her leg over his lap and straddled him while pressing her chest and body firmly against him. Naruto snaked his arms around her waist and pulled her tightly, encasing her to him.

Ino could feel the love surging through them, feelings that had been bottled up by both of them for so long now being released. It was pure bliss, and she couldn't recall a time when she was this happy...

**(End Flashback)**

….Or now a time when she was so miserable.

Ino remembered when she broke things off with Naruto six months later. The look that spread across his face was the same blank expression she had seen when he had opened that hospital door to Sasuke's room.

Ino remembered how she began trying to explain to Naruto why she was breaking up with him when Shikamaru came by.

Naruto had noticed the nervous glance the Nara heir and Ino shared with one another.

But before she could say another word, Naruto took Ino's hand put it into Shikamaru's.

A brief flicker of pain flashed through his eyes, but then he was walking away into the night in deathly silence, as if that look of betrayal had never even been there.

Ino had done the one thing she promised him she would never do.

Would he ever forgive her, for doing what she swore she would never do to him?

She could only hope.

_'But, what if he still hates me?'_

Silence reigned throughout the rest of the night...

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Naruto breathed out a hearty sigh, as Nel's eyes finally drifted shut.

"She seems like a good girl Naruto-kun." Yoruichi remarked having entered the room a few minutes earlier watching them, as the blonde Jinchuuriki looked down lovingly at his dozing surrogate daughter.

He nodded an affirmative, as he tenderly ran a hand through the child's hair before commenting.

"An impulsive one as well, she reminds me of myself, when I was that age."

"I'm sorry about my reaction towards her earlier, but you have to understand that the prior encounters between a Shinigami and an Arrancar have been difficult shall we say in the past.

Naruto turned around to question her statement, when he noticed Yoruichi had finally put some clothes on albeit a racy black bra with a matching G-string was not much of an improvement

"I don't trust you, you know that."

The tan goddess allowed her lower lip to tremble in a mild pout, as she rounded the bed and stood before him. Naruto stood up before the woman in front of him and was about to say something when again her lips captured his, but this time Naruto pushed her away and enjoyed the look of shock upon her face before sternly saying.

"Look, I don't know _what's _going on in that devious mind of yours, but let me explain something to you. Up until a few days ago, I had sworn off the notion of giving or receiving _love_ from anyone for the last two years."

"But something changed a few days ago?" Yoruichi asked.

Again he looked down at the little green-haired girl sleeping and said.

"Yes, that little girl lying before you and the two women you met earlier has got me questioning that notion."

Naruto then glared harshly at Yoruichi before stating in a strict tone of voice.

"And although I'm still trying to come to terms with my feelings for them, I do know that they're precious to me. I won't do anything that will hurt them in anyway. So don't think you can bat an eyelash, while snaking your tongue down my throat and I'll fall madly in love with you and forget about them! Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Yoruichi nodded.

"I understand Naruto-kun; your love is something I'll have to earn. And if it comes to it...

Instead of kissing him, she gave him a big hug.

This time he did not shove her, stunned instead.

"Then I don't mind sharing you either." Yoruichi stated with a sexy smirk, before releasing him, leaning down to kiss Nel on the forehead.

Only then did Yoruichi make her way to leave the bedroom, her hips swaying seductively as she walked. However, before she left, the neko woman turned around and said.

Get some rest Naruto-kun, Captain Yamamoto and the rest of us will tell you all about the Shinigami and Arrancar war in the morning.

Naruto merely sat down by his sleeping daughter and leaned forward while putting his face in his hands in resignation. And began to wonder how in the span of a few days he had gained a daughter _and _three women all vying for his love and affection?

Something he had willingly chosen to give up long ago.

Heaving a sigh and resigning himself to the fact that he wasn't going to sort out his feelings about anything or anyone tonight. Naruto lay on his side next to Nel and placed a protective and loving arm across the sleeping girl to keep her close, as he to drifted off into what he hoped would be a peaceful slumber.

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Author Notes: **Here is chapter 17 ready for all of you to digest. A shorter chapter than I normally try to give you, but it was a short chapter in the original as well, but I still managed to add on about 1000 words. My apologies for the semi-cliffhanger with regards to revealing the Shingami/Arrancar war and how it pertains to all of the Bleach characters now residing in the Naruto world. However, I know that's going to take some serious time and writing and I wanted to get something out to my readers this week. So you do have that major plot point to look forward to in the next chapter. I'm curious to see what everyone thought about the chapter. It was a bit of a filler chapter I know, but I still would like to hear how it was with the readers. My thanks again to everyone for your continued support, now onto the news and something I could really use your help on.

**News:**

For the past few chapters I've alerted my readers to a couple of polls set up on each of their accounts by the fine authors brown phantom and Zentary asking the question.

**Who is the best Naruto fanfic writer on this site?**

Zentary's poll has remained open and is still active.

Regrettably, brown phantom has ended his poll on this question. However, he has started a new poll asking,

**Which is the best Naruto fan fiction story on this site?**

So I humbly ask if you feel I'm worthy of being one of your 10 picks to please place a vote for me in Zentary's poll. And if you feel this story or any of my stories are worthy of nomination in brown phantom's new poll. I thank you in advance for your support and the links to the profile pages for both brown phantom and Zentary are listed below.

brown phantom http:/www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/u/1634435/

Zentary http:/www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/u/2022054/

**End of News:**

I'm still very pleased that this revised story seems to be a hit with most people. I also want to thank those readers who take the time to leave a review for the tale. They're very helpful in letting me know how the story is progressing with all of you. And they really do assist an author out in knowing what people like about a story. Thanks again to everyone for all of your support.

Take it easy and be good!

_**Kingkakashi**_


	19. The Shinigami  Arrancar War Revealed

**Do I Have A Purpose Anymore?**

**Chapter 18: "The Shinigami/Arrancar War Revealed"**

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

When Naruto awoke the next morning, he found Nel was no longer with him. Slowly rising from the bed to investigate, he walked out into the main room of Yamamoto's residence. Upon entering the room he saw Hinata get up from a table where the former Head Captain was seated along with Shunsui, Yoruichi, and Yugito. Naruto watched as Hinata went to gather up Nel who was playing with some toys in the corner of the room. Calling out to the Hyuga girl, Naruto was taken aback by the look of deep hurt that flashed across Hinata's face when their eyes met. Without saying a word, Hinata bent down to pick Nel and the two of them exited the room in silence. Confused as to what had just transpired, the blonde Jinchuuriki turned his attention back to the table and noticed that both Shunsui and Yamamoto were each trying to control a nose bleed, while Yoruichi bore a wicked grin upon her face and Yugito was glaring daggers at Naruto.

"What's going on and why does Hinata-chan seem upset."

"Oh not much Naruto, we've just been sitting here, while Yoruichi has been telling us how you were able to pass the second trial…in intimate detail I might add." Yugito replied with a cool biting tone to her voice.

Naruto visibly winced upon hearing this and shot Yoruichi a heated glare, who merely shrugged her shoulders and said.

"They asked."

Naruto cursed under his breath and turned to leave the room to go find Hinata and make sure she was alright, while also try to explain what she had heard about the trial from Yoruichi…if he could?

Stepping into the hallway, Naruto could hear water splashing and Nel giggling from down the corridor. Walking down and entering the room where the sounds were coming from, Naruto found himself in a quaint little onsen with Hinata standing by watching over Nel as she splashed about happily in the water.

"That's enough playing Nel-chan, you use that soap and get good and clean."

"Ok Hina-chan."

Naruto called out to Hinata and asked.

"Hinata-chan, can we talk?"

Hinata jumped a bit at the sound of Naruto's voice, but did not turn around to face him and answered in a emotionless tone of voice.

"We don't have anything to talk about Naruto-kun."

'_Great she's pissed off at me, damn that Yoruichi!' _ Naruto bitterly thought to himself.

"Please, I can tell your upset, won't you at least talk to me, don't I deserve that much?"

Hinata heaved a weary sigh and told Nel she and Naruto-kun were going to talk and that she would return in a few minutes to make sure the little Arrancar was squeaky clean. Nel nodded her head and returned to playing and splashing about in the onsen. Hinata then followed Naruto into the hallway and closed the door behind her, as Naruto began to speak.

"Hinata-chan, I know you're angry and upset with me about what happened during my second trial with Yoruichi."

"I'm not angry or upset with you Naruto-kun." Hinata replied while keeping her head bowed down and refusing to look Naruto in the eyes.

"I can tell you're upset and angry with me. I'm sorry about the second trial and I don't know what Yoruichi told you, but I did pass the trial, I never slept with her."

"You almost did." Hinata quietly mumbled, but Naruto still heard it.

"You're right, I almost did and I'm sorry you are hurt by that. But can you please find it in your heart to forgive me. I don't want you to be angry and upset with me." Naruto pleaded, as he stepped in and attempted to hug Hinata, before the Hyuga girl forcefully shoved him back into the wall and burst into tears while shouting.

"Baka, I told you, I'm not angry and upset with you! I'm angry and upset with myself for feeling angry and upset with you!"

Naruto stared at Hinata with a bewildered and confused look now plastered upon his face, before Hinata sunk to the floor and brought her knees up to her chest and hugging them tight said in a choked voice.

"I'm angry at myself Naruto-kun not you, I don't have the right to be angry with you."

Naruto knelt down beside Hinata and brushed a tear off of her cheek before saying.

"I don't understand what you mean Hina-chan?"

"I mean what right to have to be angry with you about what almost happened with Yoruichi during your trial, not after what I did to you three years ago by marrying Kiba."

Hinata choked back a small sob before she continued one.

"Even if you had slept with Yoruichi I still wouldn't have any right to be upset or jealous about it and I'm angry at myself for feeling that way. The last time I felt this way is when Ino told me of her feelings for you two and a half years ago and asked if it was ok with me for her to pursue a relationship with you. And even though I told her yes because I wanted you to be happy with someone I still felt some anger and resentment towards her afterwards."

Naruto stiffened at the mention of Ino's name and a scowl spread momentarily across his face. Hinata saw this and cupped his cheek and said.

"Ino made a mistake Naru-kun, just as I did; please don't hate her for that."

Naruto exhaled a heavy sigh and took Hinata's hand into his own.

"I appreciate you defending your friend Hina-chan, but Ino didn't make a mistake, she made a choice."

"But I too made a choice when I went ahead and married Kiba."

"Yes, but you made your choice out of love for and to protect your sister. Ino was not burdened by such a self-sacrificing dilemma as you were."

Hinata remained silent, as she didn't know what to say to Naruto with regards to her friend. The Hyuga girl's own relationship with Naruto had only been renewed a few days ago and the two of them were still trying to figure out the outcome of that between themselves. As Naruto rose to his feet bringing Hinata up with him, she heard him say.

"Don't beat yourself about feeling upset or jealous about my trial and Yoruichi. In a way, it shows me that you do care about me."

"I do Naru-kun, very much." Hinata replied, as Naruto hugged her.

"Well, we had better go check on Nel-chan and make sure she is staying out of trouble."

Hinata nodded her head in response and they both opened the door to the onsen and looked to the pool, but didn't see the little green-haired Arrancar anywhere. Growing concerned they called out for her, at which point the heard Nel answer them from above and looked up with fright at what they saw. Nel had somehow managed to climb up 20 feet to the main support beam of the roof above the onsen and they heard her giggle with glee.

"Hina-chan, Naru-kun, watch me do a cannonball!"

Nel then jumped off the beam causing Hinata to shriek and Naruto to instantly Hiraishin into the water and catch the little Arrancar.

"Awww why did you have go and do that, I was having tho much fun!" Nel complained in disappointment to her surrogate father.

Naruto could only groan in response and wonder to himself why Kami had chosen such a wild child for him to protect.

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

A little while later after drying off and sending a pouting Nel to a room for a undeserved timeout as far she was concerned for just trying to have some fun. Naruto and Hinata rejoined the others in the main room as Yamamoto was about to tell the tale of the Shinigami and Arrancar's to them.

"Listen well young mortals, my full name is Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto and seated next to me are Shunsui Kyōraku and Yoruichi Shihōin. We are what you refer to in this world as Shinigami or Soul Reapers. We govern the flow of souls between the human world and the afterlife or I should say we did."

"What do you mean you did?" Naruto asked in curiosity

"Where did the souls go after they left the human world?" Hinata openly questioned.

"So you guy's are death gods?" Yugito inquired in disbelief.

"Old man Yama, why don't you let me explain everything to them. You tend to get a little longwinded and we don't have all day." Shunsui stated to his former Sensei.

"Hmph, longwinded indeed! Very well Shunsui, you may take over."

"Thank you, now I'll answer Yugito-chan's question first. Yes, we are or were what you would call death gods. Now as to Hinata-chan's question, the souls we ferried from the human world went to a place we call the Soul Society, where they lived in peace until they are reincarnated back into the human world. Naruto your question will be answered at the end of my tale. Now if no one interrupts with anymore questions until I'm through, I'll give you a quick rundown of everything."

Naruto, Hinata, and Yugito nodded their heads in agreement, as Shunsui began.

"Now, ol' Yama here founded the Shino Academy, which trained the Shinigami's about 1,700 years ago and personally instructed myself and my best friend Jushiro Ukitake, as his first students to become Captains in the Gotei 13 of the Soul Society. He founded the Gotei 13 and became its Captain-Commander. Now the Gotei 13's main duty was to defend the capital city of the Soul Society the Seireitei and the adjoining 320 districts of the Rukongai. In addition to these duties, Shinigami also had to deal with the business of being assigned to the human world and guiding those deserving souls to the Soul Society. However, are most important duty when assigned to the human world is to protect those deserving souls from Hollows."

Shunsui paused to take a deep breath before continuing on.

"Hollows are a race of creatures which are born from human souls who, for various reasons, do not cross over to Soul Society after their death and stay in the human world for too long. They are corrupt spirits with supernatural powers that devour the souls of both living and deceased humans. This all functioned without much incident for over 1700 years, until the Soul Society and the Gotei 13 were betrayed by some of their own."

Instantly, a grim look spread across the faces of the three former Gotei 13 Captains, before Shunsui continued on.

"Sōsuke Aizen was a former captain of the 5th Division in the Gotei 13. He orchestrated along with his followers two other Gotei 13 Captains Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tousen to destroy the Soul Society by escaping to Hueco Mundo the dimension where Hollows and Arrancar reside. It lies in between the world of the living and the Soul Society, but can cross over to the human world and Soul Society. "

Naruto's head snapped to attention upon hearing the word Arrancar, as his thoughts turned to Nel. The blonde Jinchuuriki wanted to stop Shunsui right there and ask some questions, but decided to wait and listened some more to the tale being spoken.

"Before escaping to Hueco Mundo, Aizen had managed to steal the Hogyoku, which had been developed by another Captain in the Gotei 13 Kisuke Urahara. The Hogyoku is a device that possesses the ability to transform a Shinigami into a perfect Hollow-Shinigami Hybrid. It also possessed the ability to evolve certain Hollows into Arrancars, which Aizen waged war with against the Soul Society by using an army of Arrancar he had created. That little girl in the other room Naruto is one of the first and most powerful Arrancar Aizen created after arriving in Hueco Mundo."

"Wait a minute, are you trying to tell me Nel-chan is one of this Aizen guy's soldiers and you all fought against her? That's bullshit, she just seems like a little girl to me!" Naruto exclaimed, as he could no longer hold his tongue.

"No Naruto, Nel didn't fight in the Shingami/Arrancar war. I don't know what or why, but something happened to her and she was cast out of the Arrancar army before the war began."

"Please Naru-kun; let Shunsui-san finish like we promised before we ask any questions." Hinata softly asked, in an attempt to calm Naruto down.

Naruto grumbled a bit in annoyance before he nodded his head to Shunsui.

"There's really not much more to the story. The Shinigami/Arrancar war began and there were heavy casualties on both sides. Finally in a climatic showdown the remaining Shinigami and Arrancar, both sides released all of their powers simultaneously at one another and ended the war in one fell swoop."

Shunsui then sat back down at the table and after a couple of minutes of silence, Naruto realized that had been the end of the story and asked in confusion.

"I don't understand, if you guy's won the war, then why aren't you living at the Soul Society instead of down here in the human world?"

"I never said we won the war Naruto."

"So it was the Arrancar who won?" Hinata asked in equal bewilderment.

"I never said that either."

"Then just what are you saying, when did this damn war take place anyhow?" Yugito growled out in frustration.

"The Shinigami/Arrancar war took place 400 years….in the future." Yamamoto calmly answered, before taking another sip of tea.

"What!" Naruto, Hinata, and Yugito said in unison.

"It's true, the war won't happen for another 400 some odd years. You see when the Shinigami and the Arrancar released all of our powers out at once at one another. The resulting explosion ripped a hole through the fabric of time, space, and dimensions. Which resulted in all of the remaining Shinigami being flung throughout the history of time into the human world. And the old man, myself, and Yoruichi-chan were each thrown into this time period. However, what we didn't realize until we saw little Nel is that the remaining Arrancar were also flung throughout the history of time into the human world as well. And knowing that they're might be more Arrancar roaming around in this time period is concerning." Shunsui stated grimley.

"Well I don't know how many more Arrancar were thrown into this time period, but I can tell you that there's one less." Naruto openly commented.

"What do you mean?" Shunsui asked.

"I mean I finished off one of these Arrancar bastards several days ago when he was trying to kill Nel-chan. He was spouting off about needing to kill her to gain her powers, but I didn't think anything of it at the time. He was already pretty busted up by the time I found him, probably by one of you Shinagami during the war before I finally finished the job on him."

"Little Nel does contain great power young Naruto, but it lays dormant. So I warn you, be on your guard, as her immense power could manifest again without any warning." Yamamoto cautioned the young Jinchuuriki.

"Well if there are more Arrancar roaming around, I'm glad that Yoruichi is here to add her power and skills to a fight instead of just me and the old man here."

Yoruichi smiled at her fellow former Gotei 13 comrade and nodded her head.

"I don't understand, You both seemed…..surprised when you saw one another yesterday, why is that?." Hinata adroitly queried.

"That's because I was surprised to see Yoru-chan. Up until yesterday, I thought ol' Yama and myself were the only ones tossed into this time period." Shunsui replied.

"The same for me, I thought it was just me and the geezer. Why didn't you let us know about each other you old coot?"

"Because knowing both of you and you're over-driven libido's, the two of you would of wiled away the centuries humping about like rabbits, instead of conducting yourselves as honored members of the Gotei 13 and accomplishing something of worth, such as participating in the trials to find potential new Shinigami candidates for the future."

Both Yoruichi and Shunsui looked at one another, as they both wanted to refute what their Captain-Commander had just said, but after a moment, both of them shrugged their shoulders, as they realized he was probably right in his statement of the two. Yamamoto then spoke once more.

"However, I'm very pleased that the two of you have chosen to add your powers and skills to help Naruto on his quest against these Akatsuki. From what he and Yugito have conveyed to me about them, I can say they seem every bit the threat to this time period that the Arrancar were to us in the future, so the two of you have my highest praise in doing that."

Both Yoruichi and Shunsui nodded their heads towards their Captain-Commander and though they wouldn't openly admit it. They both felt a sense of pride in hearing Yamamoto's approval of their choice to help Naruto.

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

The next morning as Naruto and his company of traveling companions packed up their belongings to leave, they bid farewell to Yamamoto who knelt down to give a gift to Nel.

"Ah, little one, I have a present for you..."

Eyes glittering with curiosity, the girl pranced forward.

"Ooh! A present! What ith it, what ith it?"

"This!" The old sage replied, as he revealed a large leather sack from seemingly out of nowhere, its top bound by a loose knot.

Little fingers began working rapidly on the knot, as it was quickly undone.

"YATTA!"

The contents were soon revealed to be a bag of candy, one that made the child practically squeal with delight, her eyes wide upon beholding the sugary sweets.

"Thanks Yama-Ji!" She chirped, giving the aging sage a big hug at his legs, before she skipped back up to Naruto, taking her customary place on her surrogate father's shoulder giggling happily.

Said shinobi then approached the elder, whilst his surrogate daughter was already digging into her early morning deserts.

"Are you sure you want to stay here, Yamamoto-san?"

"I am sure."

Naruto showed a rare gesture of gratitude by bowing.

"Arigatou sensei for your help and guidance you've shown to me and my people these past few days."

"Ho!" The aged man chuckled in response.

"I haven't been called that in many a year!"

Shunsui and Yoruichi each bowed to their former Captain-Commander and with that they began their trek to rendezvous with the leader of the Crimson Blade's.

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

One particular person in Naruto's party who was the unofficial liaison between Naruto and the bandits was deep in thought, as he trudged behind everyone else.

_'Daisuke, what the hell have you gotten yourself into? This is the strangest group of people I've ever come across in my entire life...'_

Briefly pausing, he began to look over the people he was traveling with.

_'We've got a blonde swordsman who seems to have the power of the Devil himself. A little green-haired girl who while seemingly innocent, I get a strange feeling she's hiding something..._

Now he had to be careful, lest he stare too long at the women ahead of him and lose his head.

_'Besides those two, we also have three incredibly hot women all with eyes for no one but the leader of this motley group and finally a lazy straw hat wearing sword wielding pervert.'_

Swallowing nervously, he hastily looked away, as Hinata's head began to turn in his direction.

_'In fact I'm pretty sure that all of them could kill me without much trouble if they wanted.'_

This is what worried Daisuke the most.

He was one of the strongest members of the Crimson Blade Bandits and if anyone of these people could kill him with ease then.

'_Why does this Naruto Uzumaki want to join us?'_

Daisuke shivered slightly, as he recalled the memory of Naruto slaughtering his comrades in an instant while they haggled over the split of booty they had stolen from a traveling caravan the bandits had murdered. Daisuke had been disgusted that his comrades has disobeyed orders from their leader about killing their robbery victims. However, he had been in no position to stop them, as he was only one man against many.

Daisuke remembered how powerful, skillful, and _efficiently _ruthless Naruto had been when he dispatched his comrades. And now this blonde-haired demon of a man was even stronger now than he was back then?

It didn't make any sense...

'_Why does he wish to become a bandit?'_

'_This guy and his friend's are so strong they could take over a small village if they wanted too.'_ The Crimson Blade bandit silently mused, before the sound of his name interrupted his thoughts.

"Daisuke quit lagging behind and get up here. I want to talk to you about your organization."

Naruto looked over his shoulder, his smoldering eyes flashing red briefly and scaring the daylights out of the bandit, as he spoke.

"I know they're good at killing innocent travelers on the road, but I know little else about them."

He waved Daisuke to come forward.

"I want you to tell me all about and what it means to be a Crimson Blade bandit."

The tone and the way Naruto said this request made the bandit very uneasy, as if it was silently saying to him.

_**Tell me everything you know and you**_** might **_**live to see another day.**_

"H-hai Naruto-sama, I'll tell you everything I know." Daisuke quickly replied, as he ran to catch up with the blonde Jinchuuriki.

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

While Naruto listened to the history of the Crimson Blade Bandits being told to him, a crimson-eyed beauty many miles away was slowly awakening from a peaceful night's slumber. As Kurenai stirred, she couldn't understand...

Why was her pillow softly thumping in her ear?

Opening her eyes, she blushed slightly as she realized that at some point during the night she must have turned over, as her head now rested comfortably on Kakashi's well toned chest, and her leg and arm were draped across his body.

Kurenai gazed up to look at the still sleeping face of Kakashi and smiled.

If he were still asleep, a few more minutes of sleep for herself wouldn't hurt, as she was quite comfortable at the moment...

Except for that damn kunai Kakashi had that was poking her in the leg.

Still half asleep, Kurenai reached down inside the sleeping bag to remove the annoying weapon.

'_Why the Hell would Kakashi keep a kunai in the sleeping bag all the way down here, and why wrap it up in cloth?' _Kurenai absently thought, as she grabbed the rather large offending weapon and attempted to pull it free.

However, the weapon refused to budge no matter how strongly Kurenai pulled. Groping around to try and unwrap the kunai, Kurenai finally found an opening flap to what she assumed was its cloth holster and reached inside.

It was then that Kurenai heard the shaky voice of Kakashi ask.

"What-what are you doing Kurenai?"

"I'm trying to remove this damn kunai that's poking me Kakashi." Kurenai groggily replied, as her hand wrapped around the object she spoke of.

"That's-that's n-not a kunai Kurenai." Kakashi stammered through clenched teeth.

It was at that moment Kurenai's brain registered the feeling of the object in her hand, as a kunai did not feel warm or pulsate.

About one second later, the scream that ripped through the forest seemed to echo for miles.

As the scream died down, Kurenai was frantically pacing about the campsite, while Kakashi was nursing a lump to his head delivered by his very agitated Jounin companion, as she flew out of the sleeping bag.

Rubbing the lump on his head and groaning in frustration, Kakashi asked in an irritated voice.

"What was that for?"

Kurenai stopped pacing and glared at the silver haired Jounin before saying with anger.

"I told you last night if you did anything perverted you would pay for it!"

"Excuse me, I didn't do anything perverted."

He shot her a keen glare and added,

"If you recall, it was not my hand in someone's pants but yours!"

Kurenai turned beet red at this statement, before she shakily pointed to the lower half of Kakashi's body and attempted to stammer out in defense.

"Well-well, how, how do you explain th-that?"

Kakashi looked down to what Kurenai was referring to, before quickly covering up and saying.

"Oh that, that would have been there whether you were in the sleeping bag or not. You certainly had nothing to do with it."

Kurenai's face developed a tick mark, as a look if indignation spread across it. Kakashi seeing this look quickly attempted to assuage the now insulted, as well as _angry_ kunoichi before him by saying.

"I-I didn't mean you couldn't cause _that, _to happen Kurenai. I mean someone as beautiful as you could easily cause such a reaction. Just ask any male above the age of 12 back in the village, ha, ha, ha."

'_Oh I wish I hadn't said that last part._' Kakashi thought, as he slapped his hand to his face before peering out between his fingers to look at Kurenai.

Upon hearing Kakashi's statement, Kurenai's body went rigid.

She silently pondered what to do next.

Kakashi took note of this, as he sighed and thought to himself:

'_Yup, I'm a dead man.'_

However, death did not come to the Copy Nin, as Kurenai merely growled through clenched teeth before growling out.

"Let us never speak of what happened here ever again! I'm going to get some firewood!"

The dark-haired Jounin kunoichi then stomped off into the woods

As Kakashi watched intently Kurenai storm off into the forest, he exhaled a sigh of relief and thought to himself.

'_Well, I don't why she didn't kill me, but thank Kami she didn't. I do have to say one thing though.'_

"She's got a great ass!"

Unbeknownst to Kakashi, when Kurenai got a sufficient distance away from the campsite, she too exhaled a sigh of relief. The reason Kurenai hadn't killed Kakashi for what he said was because her mind hadn't been really focused on the last part of his statement, but more on the middle, as she thought to herself.

'_He-he thinks I'm beautiful.'_

Kurenai then stared at her hand, while a mild blush spread across her face, as she then stated with amusement.

"Well, it may not have been the weapon I thought it was...

The next part was spoken so softly that no one was likely to hear it.

...But it's the biggest damn _weapon_ I've ever seen or felt in my entire life."

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Several miles away from the Konoha Jounin, Ino was awakened by the smell of brewing coffee.

Rising wearily from her sleeping bag, she spied Sasuke brewing a pot by a small fire.

Seeing the blonde kunoichi was awake, Sasuke poured her a cup and handed it to her.

Taking a sip to clear her head, Ino commented in annoyance, and then spat out the brown liquid.

"Your coffee sucks Sasuke!"

"Yeah it does, but it will wake you up Ino."

"Why are we waking up so soon? We only got a few hours of sleep after we took down Sakura and Kiba, can't we sleep a little longer?"

"No Ino we can't, time is of the essence. I know we pushed ourselves hard last night to put some distance between us and Sakura and mutt-boy, be we have to get going and find Naruto now."

"But why Sasuke?"

Sasuke glanced at Ino's eyes briefly before quickly turning his head to the side and saying.

"Because today is the final day of the two weeks Tsunade gave me to find Naruto and bring him back to the Leaf village. If I don't do that today, then I'm supposed to carry out his, his…elimination."

"You mean his _murder_ don't you Sasuke?" Ino spat with contempt.

The brooding Uchiha said nothing in response.

After awhile and wishing to change the subject, he asked Ino in curiosity.

"You know Ino, I understand running into Sakura out here, I figure she's looking for Naruto the same as us, but why is Kiba out here?"

A look of confusion spread across the blonde's face.

"How did she get hooked up with him?"

"I've been wondering about that to...

She leaned back on her haunches.

"I don't know how they got together, maybe the same way we did and they decided to team up to find Naruto like us."

"But why is Kiba looking for Naruto?"

"I don't think he is Sasuke, I'm pretty sure he's looking for someone else."

"Who?"

"Hinata." Ino quietly stated.

"Hinata, she's out here looking for him too? Why is she out here Ino?"

"For the same reason I am you idiot! She just figured it out quicker than I did and left a few days before me to try and find Naruto. She's never stopped loving Naruto and loves him as much today as she always has."

Sasuke just stared at Ino with a bewildered look on his face before snickering which soon became hearty laughter. This unnerved the blonde haired kunoichi a bit, as the normally stoic Uchiha rarely laughed or smiled about much of anything.

After a minute of listening to Sasuke laugh out loud, Ino couldn't stand it anymore.

"What's so damn funny Sasuke?"

In between chuckles, he managed to speak.

"I'm-I'm sorry Ino. I'm not laughing at you I swear it. I was just thinking back to the academy days when you and Sakura wouldn't give Naruto the _time of day_ or if you did, it was to beat the crap out of him and Hinata was too shy to even say hi to him."

Amazed at it himself, he gave a low whistle.

"Now a few short years later, the dobe is fighting off the three prettiest girls from our class with a stick."

"Don't call Naruto a dobe! And don't lump Hinata in with me and Sakura! We were too blind to notice what a wonderful guy Naruto was back then because we were stupidly chasing after an emo traitor to the village!" Ino lashed out in furious anger.

Sasuke immediately stopped laughing, as his face resumed its normal stony appearance while he looked to the ground in silence. Ino saw this and immediately felt guilty about what she had just said.

Taking a deep breath then exhaling, she said in a contrite and soft voice.

"I'm sorry Sasuke; I didn't mean to say that. I lost my temper because you called Naruto a dobe and it brought up some memories about how Sakura and I treated Naruto that I would just as soon forget."

Her next words held quite a bit of truth.

"If you're going to refer to anyone as a dobe, it ought to be Sakura and me for treating him that way. _Certainly_ not Hinata, she always recognized how special Naruto-kun is even back then."

Sighing, Sasuke stated with regret.

"It's alright Ino, I understand."

He paused to look to the horizon.

"I did betray the village and that's something I'm always going to have to live with. I'm sorry I referred to Naruto as a dobe; I don't mean it in an insulting way. It's just sort of our thing between the two of us.

A mental image of his comrade and himself appeared in his head, back when they were younger.

"I'm the _teme_ and he's the _dobe._"

"Yeah, I never did understand that between the two of you."

Sasuke gave her a deadpanned look.

"It's a guy-thing Ino."

"Whatever... Ino replied while rolling her eyes, as she and Sasuke began repacking their supplies to continue their search for Naruto.

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

It was late morning when Sakura and Kiba regained consciousness and their mood was none too happy.

After freeing Akamaru from the pit he was trapped in, Kiba's angry howl was heard throughout the woods.

"I _swear_ when I find the guy, who sucker punched me, I'm going to tear him limb from limb!"

As imagining his prey, his clawed hands raked at the empty air.

"I'll bet it was Naruto, that bastard!"

Sakura glared momentarily at Kiba for his remark, before Akamaru starting barking to his Inuzuka partner. After a couple of minutes, Kiba growled in annoyance and began heading back to their campsite. Sakura quickly followed behind and asked.

"What is it Kiba, what did Akamaru say?"

"Akamaru said it wasn't Naruto who ambushed us, but two other people. One of them apparently used some sort of jutsu to take over Akamaru and lead us into that trap."

'_They_ u_sed a jutsu to take over Akamaru that sounds like Ino pig's family jutsu.'_

A small gasp escaped her throat, as she thought.

_'Oh no, don't tell me that blonde headed bitch is out here looking for Naruto as well_.'

"Does Akamaru know or did he see who it was that attacked us Kiba?"

Shaking himself out of his rage, the Inuzuka shook his head.

"No, they used something to mask their scent, but he did say that the two figures who jumped over the pit were wearing Anbu masks and clothing."

'_Shit, that cinches it! Ino-pig is in the Anbu, but I wonder who her partner is?'_

As Sakura was silently trying to unlock that mystery, she suddenly realized that if it was Ino, she couldn't let her find Naruto before she did.

Whirling about Sakura stated to the Inuzuka heir and his canine.

"Well, whoever they were, they cost us a lot of time in finding Naruto and Hinata. We need to get moving now!

Kiba nodded his head in agreement, as the pair of them immediately began packing up their supplies to resume their searches once more.

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

The sun was beginning to set when Naruto and his party reached the top of a hill overlooking the Crimson Blades encampment. The camp was comprised of various tents of all sizes. However, directly in the center was a very large tent that had guards posted all around it. Obviously the headquarters of this mysterious leader Daisuke had told Naruto about.

There were several people milling about the encampment including several women and children either doing chores or playing. Naruto had learned from Daisuke that several members of the organization including himself had wives and children who traveled with them, as the bandits crisscrossed the various lands and countries, never staying in one place for too long.

As Naruto surveyed the camp, he silently thought.

'_So these are the infamous Crimson Blades huh, not much, but better than I was expecting. Most of the chakra signatures I'm sensing are low level Chunin rank. There are a few like Daisuke who with some training could be upgraded to upper level Chunin to low level Jounin. However, there are a couple of signatures I sense coming from that central main tent that are very strong. One of them in fact I would deem as upper level Jounin at the very least. There looks to be around 125 to 150 signatures not including the women and children, that should be enough to get the job done.'_

"Naruto-sama, we should get going. The leader expressed a great interest in meeting you and he does not like to be kept waiting." Daisuke politely stated to the blonde Jinchuuriki.

Nodding, the blonde's demeanor changed slightly.

"Yes, yes let's not keep him waiting any longer. I too wish to meet him, especially after what you've told me on our journey here." Naruto coldly replied, as he took Nel from Yoruichi.

Nel had spent the day being carried by the neko woman upon the child's insistence of wanting to spend some time with the newest potential wifey-chan for Naruto much to his chagrin_. _Setting the young girl upon his shoulder, Naruto and everyone else made their way down the hill towards the Crimson Blades encampment.

A short time later, Naruto and company entered the bandit camp making their way to the center of it. It was quite obvious that news of what Naruto had done a few days ago had spread through the camp like wildfire.

Many of the women were ushering their children into tents out of apprehension and fear of these newcomers. While many of the men simply glared or turned away from Naruto and his companions. However one woman holding a small little girl in her arms not much younger than Nel ran up to them and cried out.

"Daisuke-kun!"

"Ayame-chan, Haruko-chan!"

As Daisuke hugged and kissed both his wife and child, he asked with love and care.

"I've missed you my sweet Ayame, have you and Haruko been alright since I've been gone?"

"Yes Daisuke my love, we've been fine. Sakaki has been sniffing around from time to time, but other than that we've been good."

"Sakaki!" Daisuke growled in anger.

Ayame kissed his cheek lightly.

"Don't think anything about it. Sakaki wouldn't dare try anything; he knows the leader would kill him without a thought if he tried something."

"I suppose, but I think I may just have to kill that bastard one of these days!" Daisuke spat in frustration, before a cough from Naruto brought him back to the situation at hand. Looking over to the large blonde haired warrior, he heard Naruto ask while lifting his mask.

"So, are you going to introduce us Daisuke-san?"

"For-forgive me Naruto-sama, this is my wife Ayame and my little girl Haruko, may I present Naruto Uzumaki."

Naruto gave a small bow to the young woman and her child before saying.

"Ah yes Ayame-san, Daisuke and I have discussed you on a couple of occasions during our travels."

Daisuke nervously gulped upon hearing that and decided he wanted to get Naruto as far from his wife and child as possible. Kissing his wife and child once more, he quickly ushered Ayame and his daughter into a tent before returning to Naruto and saying.

"Forgive the delay Naruto-sama; we should head to that meeting with the leader right now."

"You will not be meeting the leader, because where you stand right now is where you will all die!" Sakaki stated with certainty, as a dozen bandits surrounded Naruto and his party with swords drawn.

Naruto looked over to the man who threatened them and remembered it was the bandit he had punished a couple of days ago for his arrogant attitude with him. Letting loose a robust yet ominous laugh, Naruto commented with malevolence.

"I see you still haven't learned your lesson yet worm. Two days ago I was merciful, now I'm tired and you're delaying me from my meeting. I hope all of you are ready to die, because I won't hold back my blade this time-

However, before Naruto could put Nel down and draw his Zanpaktou, Yoruichi had stepped in front of him and in a sweet sultry voice much to the irritation of both Hinata and Yugito requested.

"Please allow me to handle this riff-raff Naru-kun."

Naruto paused a moment, before nodding his head in approval.

Then in a flash of light, Yoruichi disappeared only to reappear a few seconds later holding a blade to Sakaki's throat, as 12 heads rolled off the bodies surrounding Naruto and his companions.

Just as Yoruichi was about to dispatch Sakaki in the same fashion, a voice thundered out from behind her. As everyone turned around, they all spied a mysterious massive figure who was wrapped in a dark robe and wearing a mask walking towards them.

Daisuke dropped to a knee in reverence, as did everyone around them save Naruto and his party along with Sakaki who was still facing the losing end of Yoruichi's Zanpaktou. When the foreboding leader reached Naruto he spoke in a distorted voice through his mask and asked.

"What is going on here Daisuke? I expected you to bring this man and his companions to me immediately. Why are they still here and why is my camp now littered with a dozen headless bodies?"

Shooting a glare at the sniveling man, said warrior spoke.

"Forgive me leader-sama, I attempted to do as you ordered, but Sakaki-teme over there decided to attack this man and his friends. Much to their detriment as you can see leader-sama." Daisuke replied with a smirk, as he glanced towards the now seething Sakaki.

The Crimson Blade leader turned towards Naruto and gave a small bow before saying.

"I apologize, please forgive this insult, I did not invite you here for such a reception. I only wished to meet the man whom I have heard so many things about in whispers."

"The fault is not yours leader-san, I'm sure it's quite difficult trying to keep under control worms like that wretch over there. I accept your apology." Naruto replied, while returning a respectful bow.

"Thank you Naruto-san, speaking of worms please allow me to deal with this one. Sakaki, get to your tent and stay there until I think of a suitable punishment for your transgression here tonight. And if I were you, I would spend the night praying to Kami that I'm feeling merciful by the time I deal you, be gone!"

As Yoruichi sheathed her Zanpaktou, Sakaki gave a brief bow to everyone and scurried off into the camp while Naruto and his party followed the bandit leader to the main tent and went inside.

As the leader sat down in a large ornately decorated chair, a large black crow flew into the tent and perched onto his shoulder.

Naruto, who still had Nel sitting upon his shoulder smirked slightly, as he motioned the others to sit to the side while he stood and faced the Crimson Blade leader.

As the two men stared at one another for a minute, it was the bandit leader who broke the ice and asked.

"So, I understand you wish to join the Crimson Blade Bandits."

"No I don't." Naruto coolly replied, causing most everyone to look up in surprise.

The bandit leader cocked his head in curiosity of that reply before asking.

"If you don't wish to join my organization, then why are you here?"

"Well, the truth is I need a small army of fighters to take with me to the Spring country. However, it can't be just any army, because I need skilled fighters, to help me battle a small but powerful group of missing nin's currently lying in wait for me there."

Smirking, he looked round the encampment.

"And since small armies aren't something I can just go down to the local village to acquire seeing as I'm a missing nin myself."

Naruto shrugged his shoulders.

"I figured your group of bandits should be sufficient to help me get the job done."

The leader stared silently at Naruto for about a minute before he calmly asked.

"And what makes you think _I_ would lead my men into the Spring country just to help _you_ out?"

Naruto's grin was downright feral now.

"Oh _you_ probably wouldn't, which is why _you_ can't be the leader anymore."

Naruto then drew his blade, but kept it in its sealed state, allowing the huge guillotine like blade to crash to the ground beneath it.

He wouldn't be pulling out his ace that easily.

"It's my understanding from Daisuke-san that anyone can challenge you for the leadership of the Crimson Blade Bandits by a test of battle with you."

Naruto then hefted his Zanpaktou onto his shoulder with practiced ease and asked.

"If I'm able to make you submit or just kill you, then the leadership of the gang automatically falls to me, right?"

"Yes, _quite_ correct." The Crimson Blade leader curtly replied, as he leveled a harsh gaze at Daisuke who was about to wet himself over what had just happened.

Turning back to Naruto, he stated with authority:

"We'll have our battle for the leadership of the Crimson Blade Bandits in the morning. Until then I invite you and your companions to dine with me this evening and rest yourselves until the morning comes.'

Cold dark eyes glinted out at him.

"Is that acceptable to you Naruto-San?"

The blond strapped his sword to his back again, buckling the clasp that held it in place.

"That is most gracious of you leader-san, we accept. However, I do have one small request to make."

"What's that?"

"If you would, please drop the henge leader-san. I would like to know who I am really fighting in the morning, not this fake image sitting before me."

"Very good, no one has seen through my henge before. I hope you and especially your friends like surprises!" The Crimson Blade leader said with a smirk, as he stood up and his body's image began to flicker away.

An instant later a very large muscular with pronounced cheekbones and hairless eyebrow ridges was revealed. The man had a lone visible green left eye, while the right eye was covered with an eye-patch. The hulking man also sported long and stringy black hair styled into stiff strands with small bells attached to its tips. However the most notable feature the man bore in his appearance is his long thin scar running down the left side of his face. His attire consisted of a sleeveless captain's haori that has a ragged look to it. Lastly, another interesting fact was that the crow was revealed to be a small girl with short shoulder length pink hair and dark pink eyes, while sporting a perpetual blush on her cheeks. Still sitting upon the large man shoulder she was swinging her little legs back and forth in contented happiness.

The girl's pink colored hair threw Naruto for a moment, but the blonde Jinchuuriki quickly focused his attention back onto the man standing before him, The man's size was so massive, that he actually made Naruto look small by comparison. While the little girl looked to be no older than Nel, as they both smiled and waved to one another. Suddenly, two voices rang out in shock and surprise, one from Shunsui and the other from Yoruichi.

"I don't believe it!"

"It can't be...

The giant of a man chuckled.

"Oh but it is Yoruichi and Shunsui!"

Bowing slightly before the two former Shinigami and sweeping his arm in front of himself in a overly dramatic fashion he announced.

"The one and only Zaraki Kenpachi at your service."

He then looked to the guest upon his shoulder and said.

"And you two remember this ball of energy that is my First Lieutenant Yachiru Kusajishi."

"Hiiiiiiiii... Shun-kun! Hiiiiiiiii...Yoru-chan!" Yachiru squealed in greeting.

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Author Notes: **Now I bet all of you are slapping your hand to your forehead and exclaiming to yourself.

"**Oh why didn't I see ****a hole through the fabric of time, space, and dimensions, as the explanation of why the Bleach characters are now residing in the Naruto world."**

Well, don't beat yourself too bad over it, just kidding, but when you think about it, could there really be any other explanation that would make sense, lol. Seriously, I tried not to get too complex or complicated and simplify the explanation of the Shinigami/Arrancar War and why some of the Bleach characters were now residing in the Naruto universe as best as I could, so readers who aren't familiar with Bleach wouldn't be lost in the story. I hope I succeeded in doing that, but all of you to be the judge of that?

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed the latest installment of this revised story. A good portion of the original chapter I left alone since I wrote the majority of it except for some minor changes here and there. I did however have to do some major writing with the Naruto/Hinata scene and to provide the explanation and probably added about 3500+ word count over the original chapter. You'll notice a major change with regards from the original story in I've changed Zaraki's companion from a childlike Orihime to his normal First Lieutenant Yachiru. The use of a childlike Orihime in the original version was actually my idea, but I was never really comfortable with it after it was implemented. I'm actually not that much of a fan of Yachiru in Bleach, but keeping her with Zaraki as she is in the original manga in a weird sort of way makes sense. Anyway, I'm curious to see what everyone thought about the chapter and look forward to hearing how it was with the readers. My thanks again to everyone for your continued support, now onto the news and something I could really use your help on.

**News:**

For the past few chapters I've alerted my readers to a couple of polls set up on each of their accounts by the fine authors brown phantom and Zentary asking the question.

**Who is the best Naruto fanfic writer on this site?**

Zentary's poll has remained open and is still active.

Regrettably, brown phantom has ended his poll on this question. However, he has started a new poll asking,

**Which is the best Naruto fan fiction story on this site?**

So I humbly ask if you feel I'm worthy of being one of your 10 picks to please place a vote for me in Zentary's poll. And if you feel this story or any of my stories are worthy of nomination in brown phantom's new poll. I thank you in advance for your support and the links to the profile pages for both brown phantom and Zentary are listed below.

brown phantom www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/u/1634435/

Zentary www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/u/2022054/

**End of News:**

I'm still very pleased that this revised story seems to be a hit with most people. I also want to thank those readers who take the time to leave a review for the tale. They're very helpful in letting me know how the story is progressing with all of you. And they really do assist an author out in knowing what people like about a story. Thanks again to everyone for all of your support.

Take it easy and be good!

_**Kingkakashi**_


	20. Fight for Control

**Do I Have A Purpose Anymore?**

**Chapter 20: "Fight for Control"**

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Naruto had to admit; he was rather impressed when he beheld the feast that had been prepared. He had expected a few hunks of meat here and there, maybe a turkey or two, but the banquet before him was anything but common, as delicious food of all varieties could be seen at many tables, which even had satin tablecloths!

Kenpachi however scowled, as he gazed at the elaborate setup of fanciness, the attire of the bandits being the only exception to the rule. Kenpachi silently wondered if the man who prepared and organized this banquet would have been better served in life to be an interior decorator or party planner rather than a Shinigami, as he openly grumbled in annoyance.

"Bah, Yumichika..."

Daisuke slapped himself on the forehead mimicking his leaders' exasperation, as he too did not appreciate the cleanliness of the atmosphere.

'_He's always trying to make us look __decent.__' _Daisuke thought to himself, as he eyed the effeminate man across the tent who was responsible for setting up this banquet and all that it entailed. However, if Daisuke had known the true origin of the man he was staring at, then he would be much more careful with showing any disdain about the man.

Once upon a time, before he became a high ranking member of the Crimson Blade bandits, Yumichika Ayasegawa was the 5th Seated officer in the 11th Division of the Gotei 13 under Captain Kenpachi to whom he still serves.

The former Shinigami still wore the standard Shihakushō uniform, but with some customizations. An orange piece of clothing sits on top of his uniform around the neck, which covers most of his chest that would otherwise be exposed by his uniform. This is connected to an orange sleeve on his right arm under the much looser fitting sleeve of the uniform. Yumichika has colorful feathers on his right eyelashes and eyebrow along with shiny skin, purple eyes, and jaw-length black hair, which, in conjunction with the feathers, gives him a somewhat feminine appearance. Before he joined the Gotei 13, he wore a simple kimono with a flowery pattern on it and did not wear any feathers on his eyes. Yumichika also kept his hair down his back and tied in a loose ponytail with shoulder-length pieces framing his face.

Yoruichi gave a small sigh, as she saw all the food laid out nice and neat before them, and then looked down at herself.

"I feel so underdressed..."

Yugito bit her tongue, refraining from sarcastically stating that the Neko's clothes barely _dressed_ her at all.

Naruto glared at his fellow Jinchuuriki, with a look that clearly said.

'_Dont'!'_

"Oh, and who do we have here?" Yumichika asked.

"You look like a girl, are you a girl?" Nel inquired with curiosity.

Yachiru immediately giggled at the comment, as Yumichika scowled at them both.

"How rude!" The effeminate bandit and former Gotei 13 officer curtly snapped to the young girls, before he felt a small wave of killing intent being directed his way by both Naruto and Kenpachi.

Clearing his throat and quickly moving away from Nel and Yachiru, Yumichika then spied Yoruichi, and looked _appalled _at her tattered clothing before announcing with disgust.

"No, no, no! You cannot wear rags such as these at a feast! Come with me Yoruichi-sama, I have a dress that will make look simply gorgeous for dining this evening."

Yoruichi looked at him quizzically and opened her mouth to protest before pausing.

_'Wait a sec...'_

She kept her face blank, but now...now she had an idea.

She had promised Naruto she would _earn _his affections...

Dressing up certainly wouldn't hurt her anyway, and it could prove advantageous in garnering Naruto's attention over her competition.

Therefore, Yoruichi allowed herself to be escorted away, but not before giving a sly smirk to a now fuming Nibi container and one agitated Hyuga heiress.

It was then that both Hinata and Yugito asked if they too could be excused to get more properly dressed.

Kenpachi agreed and told Daisuke to escort the two ladies over to his wife Ayame's tent, as she was the best dress maker in the whole camp and would probably have something for them to wear.

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

After awhile, Daisuke returned to the tent, but without Hinata and Yugito. Naruto who had been talking with Kenpachi during their absence looked over to Daisuke and with slight concern and annoyance to his voice asked the bandit.

"Daisuke, where are Hinata-chan and Yugito-chan?"

"Umm yes, they are waiting outside and wanted to surprise you." Daisuke replied, before heading to the front of the tent and pulling the flap aside announced.

"May I present to you Ms. Yugito Nii and Ms. Hinata Hyuga for your viewing pleasure Naruto-sama."

It was then that Yugito and Hinata entered the tent and took the breath away from every male present.

Yugito was wearing a stunning fiery red halter evening dress with plunging neckline and draped cummerbund effect.

The long flowing sarong style skirt opened up at the left thigh showing off her long and supple leg. Meanwhile, the plunging neckline exposed a great deal of cleavage from the Nibi container's ample chest. The fiery red color of the entire ensemble contrasted beautifully with Yugito's blonde hair and gave the young woman a look of sultry hot sex appeal.

It was all Naruto could do to keep a geyser of blood in his nose from erupting. However, when his gaze traveled over to what Hinata was wearing, he nearly lost all control.

Hinata had chosen to wear a more traditional Kimono styled mini dress lavender in color, which matched her eyes perfectly. The dress was cut to a low v-neck style, which also showed a good amount of cleavage, as the dress seemed to be painted upon Hinata's body showing off all her womanly curves. The final touch to the dress was the gold and silver metallic foil print graphic flowers placed on the sleeve and mid-dress to hem line which stopped at mid-thigh showing off both of Hinata's long and toned legs.

All in all, the entire ensemble gave Hinata a look of both innocence and sexiness all mixed together into one sensuous package.

Naruto's eyes darted back and forth between the women like he was watching a tennis match. When Hinata caught him staring at her, she reverted back to her younger days and blushed furiously under his gaze.

'_No, not the blush, it makes her look so damn cute and hot! I swear to Kami, it's my one damn weakness when it comes to her.' _Naruto thought to himself, as he pinched his nose to keep a torrent of blood from rushing out.

Kenpachi leaning over and whispering into his ear interrupted Naruto from his thoughts.

"You may be the luckiest man on the planet."

It was then when Yoruichi entered the tent with flair and said.

"Ta da!"

There stood Yoruichi, but now entirely transformed.

Before she was hot...

But now, she was drop dead gorgeous!

Gone were her tattered rags of before, but in her place was a lovely black dress.

It was long, flowing, and went down past her knees. A single strap that went around her neck as it and Yoruichi's ample assets seemed to be the only things holding up the dress. The fabric was cut out at the sides, exposing the tan, smooth, and flawless skin of her hips. Long gloved sleeves exposed her fingers, and ended at her elbows, still showing off her strong shoulders, and part of her chest, that the dress oddly did not strain against, as it had been custom made for one with such proportions as hers.

The obi that had held back her hair was now gone, leaving her rich hair to cascade down over the open back of her dress, her creamy chocolate skin, laid bare.

But she had refused high heels unlike Hinata and Yugito, and Naruto was amused to see that she was still wearing her sandals of before.

The corners of Yoruichi's lips tugged upwards in a smile, as she saw the look amazement etched upon Naruto's face. It was then that both Hinata and Yugito walked over to stand beside Naruto that Yoruichi's smile soon became a frown, as she got a good look at both of them. As much as Yoruichi she hated to admit it, both women looked as stunning as she did, much to her annoyance and displeasure.

Kenpachi leaned over once more and whispered to the Jinchuuriki.

"Now I know you are the luckiest man on this planet, because you ain't gonna find three hotter babes than these to warm your bed at night."

Naruto barely registered his host's words, as his head was currently darting back and forth between all three of the women surrounding him.

Kenpachi then stood up and made his way over to a large and long dining table and took the seat at the end, before gesturing for Naruto and his crew to do the same.

Naruto took a seat in the middle, with Hinata on Naruto's right, and Yugito on his left, as she stole the seat just seconds before Yoruichi could.

Shunsui opted to stand, lest he be caught up in what was about to take place.

Yoruichi frowned at Yugito, but instead took a seat next to the Nibi vessel, after shooting her a nasty glare, which was returned in kind.

"Bitch." The female Jinchuuriki murmured.

"Yugito." Naruto's cold tone made her look in his direction.

"Be _nice_." Growled the Kyuubi vessel, and there was malice in his tone, he would not stand to have his allies bicker, at least not while he was sitting right next to them.

Yoruichi wisely did not press her advantage, but instead leaned back in her chair.

Blissfully unaware of the potential three-way cat fight that was brewing; Nel's eyes sparkled, as she beheld the meal before her.

"Oooooh! Look at all the food!"

Yachiru giggled from her perch atop Kenpachi's shoulder, then with a swing of her legs, leapt down with grace and surprising agility for one her age.

"Yumi-chan usually doesn't do this much, but when he does, he makes some really sweet treats. We'll have some later, but right now do you want to play?"!

_That _got Nel's attention and she cast a pleading look at her father, a perfect puppy dog pout.

"Naru-kun, can I go play with Yachiru-chan?"

"You can go play, but stay close."

The blond Jinchuuriki then patted her head lightly before the little Arrancar complained.

"Naru-kun don't jiggle my crown!"

Naruto smiled as he watched Nel run off to join Yachiru for some playtime. Hinata with Ayame's help had dressed the little Arrancar in a cute blue and green patterned dress with ruffled sleeves and flower accents to add detail to the hem of the dress, which hit just above the knee. And while Nel liked the dress, she absolutely fell in love with a tiara crown made up of sparkling costume jewelry, which she now proudly wore upon her head covering her broken Arrancar mask. As Naruto watched Nel run around with Yachiru with glee, he was surprised at the warm feeling it produced inside of him.

"**You big softie!" **Kyuubi snickered inside of Naruto's mind.

_'Shut up you damn fox!__' _Naruto fired back angrily within his head.

As for Nel and Yachiru, after a minute or two of giggling and chatting, the two girls promptly declared each other best friends forever. Then before anyone knew it, they were running about the servers and waiters in a game of tag clearly having the time of their lives, as they caused havoc amongst the dinner attendees.

Kenpachi laughed loudly, as they bowled over a bald man, who went by the name of Ikkaku Madarame.

"That Nnelliel of yours, she's a handful isn't she?"

"No more than Yachiru I suspect." Naruto replied with a grin.

Kenpachi smirked.

"True, true, I suppose I'm going to have to go out one of these and find Yachiru a mother or at least a female who is strong enough to help calm her down. Back in the Soul Society it wasn't a problem as there were several females who she could look up to and were powerful enough to keep her in check if needed, but here in the human world, pickings are slim. But you've done well for Nel though, as it looks like you've gone out and found three mothers for her, ha, ha, ha!" Kenpachi stated with boisterous laughter.

Naruto just rolled his eyes at the Crimson leader's statement, before he glanced at all three of the women around and silently wondered.

'_What if?'_

Despite himself, Naruto chuckled, as he looked up and saw both little girls darting about the large tent each being "_it" _for about ten seconds, before the other would catch up, and the chase would start anew once more.

"Nel seems to be a perfect match for her."

A strange light glinted in the leader's eyes.

"I wonder which one is stronger, Yachiru or Nel? They each have great power even if it's dormant in both of them right now."

Something about the way Zaraki was smiling made Naruto uneasy.

It was too feral, too _bloodthirsty_.

Naruto chose his next words carefully, but they were true.

"I'd have to say Yachiru is the strongest considering she did serve as your first Lt. doesn't-

"Owie! Ow! Ow! OWIE!" A sharp cry of pain suddenly filled the tent.

Looking towards the sound of the cry, Naruto saw Yachiru sitting on the ground holding her arm with tears pooling in her bright eyes.

"Yachiru!" Zaraki shouted, as he and Naruto rushed over to the two little girls.

"What happened Yachiru?"

"Oh Kenny, I accidentally ran into this table and knocked over this pot of hot soup and it burned my arm, it really hurts bad Kenny."

"I can fix it Yachiru-chan and make the hurt go away." Nel declared.

Then before anyone could stop the little Arrancar, she stuck her hand into her mouth and began massaging her uvula, before vomiting onto Yachiru's injured arm. The vomit itself had a similar appearance to saliva.

"What the hell?" Naruto and several others exclaimed in unison.

However, Naruto was surprised, as he watched the severe burn wound slowly disappear and after a minute Yachiru jumped up and shouted.

"Thanks Nel-chan, it doesn't hurt anymore!"

And just like that, the wound was healed_._

The missing leaf nin felt his jaw drop.

"How, how...did you do that?"

Kenpachi laughed out loud before proclaiming.

"Idiots, she's an Arrancar."

Yumichika hissed, and Ikkaku frowned, as both former Gotei 13 officers shouted, while drawing their zanpaktou's.

"Impossible!"

"They were all killed. How can this child be..."

In a yellow flash, Naruto was suddenly standing in front of the two former Squad 11 officers with his own zanpaktou drawn and exuding a massive amount of killing intent before growling out in a deadly tone of voice.

"I'm guessing you two fools must be like your leader and my two companions, so I'm going to let this slide…for one time only! But if either of you draw your blades towards that little girl again, I promise both of you will experience pain like you could never have imagined before you die!"

"Ikkaku, Yumichika, stand down, you two are embarrassing me. Look at her, does she really seem like such a threat that you two idiots needed to panic and draw your weapons!" Kenpachi angrily reprimanded to his former officers.

"Our apologies Commander Zaraki, we were just surprised and acted in haste."

"Well don't do it again, because if you had hurt my friend, Kenny would have been the least of your problems!"

Both Ikkaku and Yumichika paled a bit at hearing Yachiru's threat.

Naruto looked to Nel who had just been glommed by Yachiru, with a big hug in thanks for taking care of her injury. Seconds later, the two were at their antics again, and everyone sat back down.

The rest of the dinner was rather uneventful, but little did Naruto know that a couple of surprises were coming his way.

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

After the dinner had concluded, both Yachiru and Nel had talked Hinata into playing a game of hide-&-seek with them throughout the camp. The little girls were always amazed at how quickly Hinata would always find them thanks to her Byakugan. And once the girls were found, they always received a tickle attack from the Hyuga heiress that left them squealing in delight and laughter.

Naruto then looked over to see Yoruichi slamming glasses of ale with Kenpachi and Shunsui, as the old friend's reminisced about the good old days.

While Naruto watched Yoruichi interact with Kenpachi, a devious thought went through his mind.

'_Heh, heh, maybe I can pawn_ her _off onto Kenpachi or Shunsui?'_

However, his train of thought was broken when he spied Yugito sitting alone in a corner of the tent...

Looking very forlorn.

It occurred to the blond that he had not spent near the amount of time with her as he had wanted.

Quickly, he rose to make his way over to his fellow Jinchuuriki.

"Yugito-chan, are you alright?"

The sound of Naruto's voice immediately brought Yugito out of her stupor, as she to stammer out a reply.

"Nar, Naruto-kun ….. I, I, mean Naruto-san, y-yes I'm fine."

"Are you not having a good time?"

"No, no it's not that, I'm just not much of a fancy dinner or party type of person. I didn't get invited to such affairs growing up and then what happened the last several years because of ….. well you know, so I don't really know how to act at them."

Naruto only had to think back to his own history growing up to understand and sympathize with the Nibi container.

Reaching down to grasp her hand, which caused Yugito to blush slightly, he pulled her from her chair with a smile.

"Let's go far a walk, shall we?"

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

As Naruto and a still blushing Yugito walked hand in hand throughout the bandit encampment, he felt completely at ease. After all, they shared many similar aspects about their lives to one another.

And although many of their experiences hadn't been pleasant ones, in an odd sense it felt _good_ knowing that another person could truly understand what each of them had gone through in their lives growing up.

However, Naruto's ease was soon giving way to a feeling of irritation, as he noticed some of the looks the people were giving the pair of them as they walked along.

Many of the looks were the same one's they had received when they first arrived, glances of fear and apprehension. Now, many of the men were now casting lustful leering stares at his female companion.

This was not sitting well with Naruto.

Not at all.

The malevolent red-eyed glare and killing intent he sent back quickly caused said men to turn away in fear.

As the pair of Jinchuuriki's reached Yugito's tent, Naruto asked:

"Are you sure you don't want to return to the party Yugito-chan?"

"I'm sure Naruto-kun, I'm tired and would like to get some rest …un-unless you would like to join me?" Yugito replied, the last part in a seductive whisper to Naruto's ear.

A stunned Naruto began to stammer out a response when he suddenly found his mask being lifted and then his mouth covered by the Nibi vessels own, as she proceeded to give Naruto a very passionate kiss.

After a moment, Naruto wrapped his arms around Yugito and pulled her tightly to his body, while she ran her fingers through his hair.

After a _minute_, Naruto finally pushed his Jinchuuriki companion away, an odd look on his face.

"...I'm sorry Yugito-chan...I can't do this right now."

A small sigh escaped her.

"It's alright Naruto-kun. I just wanted to let you know that I've developed feelings for you, but if you don't have any feelings for me... I understand." Yugito softly replied, the hurt evident in her voice.

Naruto could feel Yugito's pain and before she could pull away, he wrapped her in a tight hug, whispering into her ear.

"No, you _don't_ understand Yugito-chan. I do have feelings for you, but there are other …things I must consider."

"If, by other things, you mean Hinata, then everything is ok Naruto-kun." Yugito softly whispered back.

"Huh?" Naruto confusingly said.

Yugito looked up and saw the bewildered look upon Naruto's face and giggled slightly before saying.

"I know you love Hinata, and she loves you, but Hinata and I have talked Naruto-kun. And she doesn't mind sharing you with someone else, if you truly love that person as well."

"Hinata said _that_?" A clearly shocked Naruto asked, before adding.

"Wait a second; I didn't think you guys liked one another? When exactly did you two have this _talk_?"

The Nibi vessel rolled her slim shoulders.

"I'll admit Naruto-kun that I didn't like Hinata when she first showed up, but that was more out of jealousy than anything else. Once I got to know her, I can understand why you love Hinata so much; she's very easy to grow fond of. And to answer your question of when we had our _talk_, it was when you were going through your Bankai trials and we both were worried sick about you."

Naruto stood there trying to absorb everything before looking at Yugito's face and softly saying.

"I'm glad you told me about your feelings Yugito-chan, and I do have feelings for both you and Hinata. But, I'll tell you the same thing I told her I need time. You have to understand, I had given up on feelings of love for the past two years. So, it's difficult for me to find them once more with anyone."

Yugito merely bowed her before Naruto lifted her chin to look at him and softly said.

"But if you will give me the _time_ Yugito-chan, I think I can grow to love you as much as I do Hinata-chan."

Yugito smiled before lifting herself up to place a small kiss on Naruto's lips before saying.

"I would like that very much Naruto-kun."

Naruto smiled as he watched Yugito begin to enter her tent, before she looked over her shoulder and said with seduction.

"I will be ready whenever you are Naruto-kun and just to let you know, Hinata and I are looking forward to all the fun the three of us can have together...

Yugito then closed the flap to her tent leaving Naruto desperately trying to pinch off his nose, as pictures of a very nude Hinata and Yugito doing various things to one another was being flooded into his brain by a certain fox demon who was currently cackling in his cage.

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Naruto looked up into the night and sighed, the party had ended several hours ago.

He and Kenpachi had found this clearing several miles away from the encampment and Naruto agreed with bandit leader that this was where they would meet tomorrow for battle.

The two combatants had chosen this site for safety purposes, as they both knew the powers they would unleash between them would be enormous.

And neither fighter wanted anyone else hurt by their battle.

Naruto had stayed behind after Kenpachi went back to camp to train a little bit, as a red light faded from his form, one could see his skin was badly burned, but also healing and an incredible rate.

It was taking awhile, but he was learning to control the 4th tailed form...

"That's enough for tonight." Naruto announced, as he strapped Zangetsu onto his back.

"Oh, Naruto-kun...

Hearing the voice, Naruto caught a trace of something out of the corner of his eye, and turned to look before arching an eyebrow in confusion.

Standing before him in literally all her glory, stood the nude form of Yoruichi, with her hands on her hips and a seductive pout on her face.

Naruto pinched his nose, both in frustration and in response to the woman standing before him, as he silently thought.

'_Damn it, first Hinata, then Yugito and now this, Kami, why are you doing this to me?'_

As Naruto gazed upon Yoruichi, the moonlight seemed to dance on her exposed smooth, tan, and exquisite skin

Skin his body was _aching _to touch.

_'Shaddap Kyuubi!'_

**"Kit, I didn't say **_**anything**_**. This is all you boy." **Commented the fox demon, quite amused to see that his host was getting this attracted to a woman he had expressed near distaste for just the other day.

"Come on, stop staring at me and do something..."

Naruto grunted and looked away.

"What do you want Yoruichi?"

A small sigh escaped from her.

"Oh come on now, I get all dolled up for you tonight at dinner, traipse out here in my best suit, _my birthday suit_ and you ask me what I want?"

"We've been over this Yoruichi. It'll take more than a fancy dress or your _birthday_ _suit_ to make me fall in love with you."

An exasperated hiss came from the Neko woman.

"For Kami's sake! What will it take then?"

He looked her square in the eye.

"Do you really wanna know?"

"Time." I need time-

"Are you kidding me? That Hyuga bitch of yours didn't do a damn thing, yet you and her _suck face_ whenever she wants."

Big mistake, nobody talked about Hinata like that.

A low growl rose from throat, cutting her off. The sound was that of an animal, not a man, as his eyes glinted red, pupils becoming silted behind his mask.

A mask that was now pulled upwards with a sharp tug, exposing the deep scowl set into the chiseled features of his face.

A scratching sound was heard and she looked down to see Naruto's fingernails growing into rather sharp claws.

"First off, don't you ever refer to Hinata in such a way again, or you'll live to regret it, that _I promise!_"

He now pointed a serrated digit at the neko woman.

"Second, I kiss Hinata because I love her and have for most of my life, no matter how much I've tried to deny it. So don't you denigrate our expression of love Hinata and I have for one another in such an insulting manner with me ever again!"

Yoruichi nervously gulped, as each word he had spoken was laced with intense anger.

The Neko woman realized she had best watch her step here, lest he turn violent again and quietly said.

"I'm sorry Naruto-kun; I just don't see what she's got that I don't."

"You want to know what she has Yoruichi-_san_."

"Yes!" She mumbled in a subdued tone, wincing at the formal suffix Naruto used to address her.

Yet for all his fury, Naruto spoke four simple words.

"Kindness, Loyalty, and Love."

Yoruichi blinked in confusion before demanding a more satisfactory explanation.

"C'mon, I need a better answer than that!"

"FINE!" Naruto roared.

"My life was a living hell growing up in my village. All I ever received from people were acts or expressions of cruelty, disrespect, and hatred. Hinata-chan was the only one back then who treated me with kindness, respect, and even love although I was too stupid to realize that, and I _STILL _to this day hate myself for not noticing her feelings!"

Red billowed from the seal.

I ignored Hinata because I was too busy chasing after a girl I had spent my entire life in love with and one who I foolishly believed loved me back. Yet it was Hinata who helped bring me back to life after the girl I did love and was going to marry, betrayed me by having an _affair_ with my best friend. Hinata helped me to overcome that pain, and she didn't do it for selfish reasons like the hope of gaining me as a boyfriend, she did it because she _truly_ cares about me and hates seeing me in pain. Well, eventually I did fall in love with her, and it was wonderful and we were happy...

One tail.

Unfortunately, we were forced to part three years ago by outside forces we had no control over and it nearly destroyed me. After that I started to change. I became cold, distant, and withdrawn from the people around me. I began to care nothing about myself, or the people I once cared for anymore including Hinata. However, before I spiraled completely into the abyss, another ….. _friend_ was there for me to help bring me back from the brink of despair, as Hinata once did...

Two tails.

But when that relationship also ended in pain for me, I vowed _no more_! I shut my emotions down and I welcomed the darkness my life had become. I completely changed from the man I once was, into an unfeeling bastard no one could even recognize anymore. I either shunned or lashed out at all the people I once cared about and who cared about me, and for the last two years I've lived my life devoid of any feelings or emotions, because as far as I was concerned they only brought me misery and pain."

Three tails and now the ground was quaking.

Naruto took notice of this and taking a deep breath, to compose himself, banished the chakra.

"But even after what I've become these last two years, Hinata still came looking for me and she _still _loves me."

He gave her a pointed glare.

"Is that enough of an answer for you?"

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Naruto was still fuming over his encounter with Yoruichi, as he stomped his way back into the bandit encampment and made his way to his tent. All Naruto wanted to do now was get some rest and forget about the Neko woman for the time being. Naruto also hoped that Yachiru wouldn't be her usual fussy self, as she slept like she normally is.

But when he pulled aside the flap to enter his tent, Naruto was greeted with such a sight that his anger for Yoruichi immediately vanished at the beauty of the scene before him.

There, lying on her side on top of Naruto's sleeping bag with her arms wrapped protectively around Nel was Hinata soundly asleep. Naruto looked over to his adoptive daughter and noticed she too was asleep and was snuggled up into Hinata while hugging Hyuga heiress tightly to her.

Naruto took notice of a half opened children's book next to them and surmised what had happened.

Apparently, Nel had cajoled Hinata into reading her a bedtime story, which during the process they both fell asleep. No doubt the game of hide and seek had taken a physical toll on the both of them.

Naruto turned his gaze back to Hinata and noticed she was still wearing her Kimono mini dress, as his breath hitched in his throat. Naruto watched as the moonlight that was filtering into the tent seemed to glitter off of Hinata's face, chest, and legs. While adding a luster to Hinata's pristine porcelain skin making her look even lovelier, if that was even possible?

Naruto knew he should probably wake Hinata and escort her back to her own tent. But by doing that, Nel was sure to awaken from the process, and Naruto did not want to deal with his daughter's fussiness and stubbornness of going back sleep. Naruto simply didn't have the time, as his battle with Kenpachi was only a few hours away and he needed to rest.

This is the reason Naruto told himself, as to why he let the two women remain asleep.

Never mind the fact that Naruto simply didn't have the heart to disrupt such a pleasing and beautiful sight before his eyes. Leaning forward he placed a kiss on Nel's forehead, before turning to place a soft chaste kiss upon Hinata's lips.

Naruto then snuggled in behind Hinata in a spooning position and draped his arm over both _them. This action caused Hinata to murmur __"Naruto-kun"__ in her sleep, which brought a small_ smile to his face, as he rested his chin upon her shoulder and drifted off to sleep as well.

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

It was a little after dawn when Kenpachi quietly arrived to the clearing he and Naruto had chosen the night before.

As usual, Yachiru sat upon his shoulder, but her trademark smile was not present this time, in truth, the little girl looked worried. A few minutes later, Naruto and his party arrived; Nel perched upon his shoulder and Naruto holding hands with both Hinata and Yugito as they approached. Trailing behind them was a very hung-over Shunsui and Yoruichi who seemed to be glaring at the two young women currently in Naruto's company.

With a nod, both Naruto and Kenpachi ordered everyone to take a position quite far away to watch the battle, as the two of them did not want anyone else hurt from their fight.

Of course both Yachiru and Nel screamed and protested the loudest, as the two little girls were forcibly carried away from their respective fathers to watch the fight from a distance.

As Kenpachi watched Naruto unsheathe his Zanpaktou from his back he silently pondered.

_'I need to see what he's really capable of before I go all out..._

"All right, let's go!" Naruto spoke, breaking the bandit leader out of his thoughts.

Kenpachi chuckled and sounded dead serious as well.

Indicating his eye patch, he spoke in a serious tone.

"Okay kid; let's see if you're good enough to make me take _this_ off."

"What, an eye patch?"

Naruto held his sealed blade with one hand.

"Screw that, I'll just take your other eye!"

Then, in a swirl of leaves, he was simply lost from sight.

Naruto's voice came from all around Kenpachi, all at once, echoing simultaneously, as he mimicked what Zabuza had said on his very first A ranked mission.

"My, my, so many vitals...Which one should I _strike_?"

As he said this, he appeared next to the man and swung Zangetsu at his head.

Kenpachi simply caught the blade with his hand, though the earth shook beneath the strike, and made everyone wince, Yoruichi included.

Then, despite the cut he received, Zaraki proceeded to yank Naruto off his feet towards him and then lunged at him in midair clearly intending to impale him.

Naruto saw this and pushed off the blade with his feet and spun in the air, before landing a vicious kick to the man's face.

"TAKE THAT!"

He gloated as he saw his Zaraki's head snap back from the blow.

However, his taunt was short lived...

When Kenpachi started laughing?

For indeed he was, and when he lowered his head, he showed no signs of injury, minus a small scorch mark upon his right cheek.

"That all ya got?"

The blond could only blink, and then the mountain of a man was upon him.

The air wheezed out of him, as Kenpachi's leg lashed out, catching the Jinchuuriki in the gut. Time seemed to slow and everyone was stunned to see Naruto's face, or rather his eyes reflect intense _pain_.

Naruto was just as amazed by the sheer power of the kick as they were, perhaps even more so, as it drove him into a tree, which splintered behind him, before it came crashing down-

Only for him to catch it with one hand, then nudge it aside.

He rose with a smirk.

"You weren't kidding. I better stop holding back, or I'm-"

He looked round, aiming to continue the battle, but the spiky haired man was gone.

Eyes narrowing Naruto looked around frantically.

_'Where is he? I can't find him anywhere...'_

Suddenly, the hairs on the back of his neck began to bristle.

His instincts told him to look up.

And it was a good thing he did.

Kenpachi was lurking above him, and his sword was aimed at his head!

_'CRAP!' _Naruto managed to bring up Zangetsu in time to block him, but the sheer force of the impact nearly knocked him to his knees.

His eyes narrowed, as he held the flat of his blade with his free hand, whilst the other gripped tightly the hilt.

Slowly, he was forced down.

Clearly, Zaraki outmatched him in terms of strength.

'_Okay that's it! Time to get serious!' _

He knocked Kenpachi's sword hand up giving him just enough time to escape via rolling to the side, just as the jagged blade split the earth beneath him

Kenpachi was grinning like a maniac; his voice was laced with excitement as his target's spin got him upright, and back on his feet.

"_Nice_! It's been a while since I've actually had to work for a victory!"

Naruto grinned, thrusting the giant cleaver before him, and then placing on hand upon the tip of the guillotine sword.

Immediately, it began to glow a bright blue, as did his eyes.

"Good, I'd hate to disappoint you..."

Even from a distance, Yugito swallowed nervously, as the ground suddenly began to tremble.

"Oh crap-"

Hinata clasped both hands to her chest and softly pleaded.

"Please be careful, Naruto-kun."

Yoruichi just smirked.

"Here we go."

Naruto abruptly, pulled his hand back over the blade.

"Shout: ZANGETSU!"

A wave of blue power coursed past Zaraki, and cut a large swathe into the earth.

When the storm had died away, Naruto hefted Zangetsu over his shoulder, the cloth from its hilt swaying in the breeze his power had created.

"Now, now I'm serious."

Kenpachi leapt to his feet, eager to continue.

Naruto shook his head and popped his joints.

"Ah there we go!"

He still spoke in psychotic distorted voice, but Kenpachi noticed that now Naruto's chakra had tripled in power, and he also seemed calm.

Kenpachi was so busy wondering what Naruto had done when suddenly said teen appeared behind him.

"Come on, let's continue already!"

"GLADLY!" shouted the leader, as he went on the offensive.

Naruto's sighed as Kenpachi blurred behind him and swung at his head once more.

Naruto simply blocked with his sword hand and used his other hand to form wave of black chakra on Zangetsu.

"Getsuga Tenshou."

Kenpachi barely got his sword up in front of him before Naruto swung Zangetsu toward him and he was blown backwards by the intense blast.

Naruto then appeared above the still airborne bandit leader and slammed into Kenpachi feet first driving him into the ground with immense force.

Kenpachi grimaced as he was driven into the ground by Naruto's impact, and spat up a bit of blood.

But he _still _got up!

"Good Naruto very good! THAT ACTUALLY HURT!"

His chakra then increased _even more_.

Kenpachi chuckled, and then the chuckle grew into insane laughter.

"This is great! I've never enjoyed myself like this!"

With one hand, he reached up to his face and grabbed his eye patch.

"With you, I think I can fight at full power!"

Naruto frowned.

"Full power?"

Zaraki gripped it tightly, his grin practically demonic.

"PREPARE YOURSELF!" Zaraki shouted, before ripping his eye patch away from his face.

The result was instantaneous.

Like a hurricane had been let loose, his chakra skyrocketed past Naruto's. Yellow chakra blazed around Kenpachi who had an insane grin on his face, as his chakra was like a violent storm, lashing out at anything within reach, and shredding it to ribbons.

"So what do you think brat? How do you like fighting me at full power?" Naruto paled, but he raised his blade and braced himself for the onslaught that was soon to come.

"Bring it on! Show me what you can do!"

"Don't think you can win just that easily kid-

No sooner had the words left his mouth did a hail of kunai rain from the sky, heading in his direction.

Amazingly, the man somehow managed to deflect or dodge all but one of the projectiles, and Kenpachi let loose a grunt of pain, as the weapon slid into the flesh of his thigh.

He quickly yanked out the kunai and turning his gaze to Naruto he chuckled.

"Nice move kid ... but you'll need more than that."

The two of them blurred forward and their blades met. Then Kenpachi noticed that although Naruto was barely holding him off with the one blade, he still had a free hand.

Naruto smirked, as said palm was literally _humming _with chakra.

Hinata's pale eyes went wide, as the energy took a distinctive shape before she shouted.

"Everyone get down!"

Naruto wore a vicious smirk; time seemed to slow, as his hand came forward...

"Rasenshuriken!"

The attack hit Kenpachi right in the chest, and the dome of chakra spread outwards, getting them both

Dust and dirt billowed about the clearing, and when the debris had finally settled...

There stood both combatants...

Both of them entirely unharmed, minus a few scorch marks on their outfits.

They paused for a breath, and then waged war anew!

As the black blade descended, Kenpachi did the only thing he could.

He head butted Naruto in the face and quickly rolled out of the way, holding his bleeding leg as he rolled to his feet.

For now, he needed to regroup and tend to his injury before their battle could continue. As he got to his feet, he saw a mob of blonde hair rushing towards him and he sighed.

_'This kid isn't gonna give me a break.' _

Suddenly all of the Naruto's stopped, as the real one came forward.

He looked at Kenpachi's injury and shook his head.

"Take care of that before you bleed to death."

Kenpachi immediately tore of his sleeve and had the wound bandaged in an instant.

Naruto and his clones smiled and Kenpachi noticed that _all _of them had Zangetsu in each hand.

"Ready? HERE WE COME!"

_All_ of them blurred forward.

Kenpachi snarled and began making hand signs.

"Ninja art: Hidden Mist Jutsu!"

Suddenly the area was covered in a dense fog. Blinded, Naruto was unable to see a thing, but upon hearing several poof's, knew that he had lost over half his shadow clones_. _

He took a deep breath and focused.

_'Calm down, all I need to do is focus my chakra and spread it out...' _The blue chakra surrounded Naruto and with a grunt of effort, he forced it away from him dispelling the mist.

He looked around and saw Kenpachi finish of the last of his clones before turning to face him.

"Ah, there ya are."

He blurred forward and Naruto felt his fist impact on his skull. But just before he went flying, he swung his blade forward twice and was rewarded by leaving a bloody x slashed across Kenpachi's chest.

Naruto still went flying back, but this time he spun in midair and rebounded off a tree.

Momentum with him, he shot at Kenpachi like a missile.

Holding Zangetsu before him, he twisted his form and then started to spin, before he shot forward ready to skewer his target

Kenpachi brought his blade up to block, but at the last second, Naruto brought his blade low striking Kenpachi's sword hand aside.

With not a moment to spare, he thudded past him, embedded the blade into the ground.

"Got ya."

Pushing _off_ its massive form, he sprang away, a Rasengan already whirling in his hand, having used his Zanpaktou as a literal springboard.

He aimed for his chest but Kenpachi sidestepped with ease, disappointment reflecting upon his chiseled features.

"That won't work twice!"

Everyone winced in anticipation, as he grabbed Naruto's arm, then with an earthshaking quake, slammed him down into the soil, face first.

He waited for a moment, but when no reaction came from the limp form of the warrior, he brought his blade down,

Hinata covered her eyes, but at the last second-

She _saw _him!

POOF!

The clone vanished into smoke, and just like he had in the Chunin exams...

Naruto struck!

Not wasting a second, he erupted from the loosened terrain, and dealt Kenpachi possible the hardest blow in his life, one that would have broken the neck, of any ordinary man.

The strike carried them both into the air.

Hinata wrung her hands in apprehension, as she watched the two combatants fly into the air.

Naruto flapped his wrists, lashing out to shove Zaraki upward, while exposing bandages on his arms.

Then he twisted and lashed out in a kick, one that pushed _him _to the ground, but knocked Zaraki even higher.

Naruto landed in a crouch, and undid the binding of the scroll.

He bit his thumb, and ran a line of blood down it.

A red aura shimmered about him, pain exploded in his body, but power came with it, and he grit his teeth, as everyone gasped at the transformation.

_'Tainted art-_

But he sprang up!

'_Kaioken!'_

Within a second, he was behind Kenpachi.

Naruto thrust his arms around the man, and when that didn't hold him fully, the bandages upon his wrists snaked around them both.

"I learned this one from bushy brow!"

Their ascent halted, it soon became a descent, as Naruto made the spin.

The ground screamed up to meet them!

"PRIMARY LOTUS!"

At the last second, Naruto wrapped himself in the Kyuubi's cloak, and three tails surrounded him, whilst the fox struggled to keep its bloodlust at bay.

The two hit the dirt like a _bomb_.

Naruto flung himself off Kenpachi immediately, and then limped out of the hole in the ground.

He was in pain, as the technique had taken its toll.

Hinata wanted to run to him so badly, as she saw how much effort it took for Naruto to stand.

_'Naruto-kun, why did you use that move?'_

Kenpachi also got up out of the small crater, but now he too was limping.

Yachiru swallowed nervously.

"Ken-chan!"

"Oi!" Bellowed Zaraki, scowling darkly, as his former first officer took a step forward.

"Don't even think about Yachiru! I ain't lettin' you help me! This is a one-on-one fight between me and him!"

"The same goes for you Nel!" Naruto snapped, perhaps harder than he should have, as his daughters eyes began to water.

Pain flashed across his face, and he felt like scum, as tears rolled down her face.

He couldn't live with himself if the worst happened, and _those_ were his last words to her.

He placed his hands in the universal 'time out gesture'.

"Okay, hold it!"

Then he bolted over to his daughter, scooped her up in his arms, to hold her tight.

"Nel-chan."

"H-Huh?" The child sniffled.

He took a deep breath, patted her on the head.

"I didn't mean to yell at you, I love you very much."

Her eyes went wide.

Then she hugged him for all she was worth.

"Nnelliel loves Naru-kun too!"

He set her down, tickled her under the chin, and then marched out to the field again.

After all, he had a heart.

He pulled Zangetsu out of the earth, and then allowed Zaraki to do the same with his own blade.

"Now, where were we?"

As one, they charged, steel flew through the air, as they struck, hard and low.

Then it was a contest of strength, with Kenpachi pushing down and Naruto pushing up.

Seeing that this was going nowhere, he lashed out at the youth face in another head butt, but Naruto responded in kind, his face contorted with effort...

CRACK!

Both warriors staggered Kenpachi staggered back; giving Naruto the time he needed to dodge the downward slash that split the earth in two.

Naruto back flipped landed a few feet away breathing heavily, while Kenpachi seemed as fresh as a daisy.

Sighing, the blond closed his eyes, and then pulled the mask over his face.

"I guess it's all or nothing."

He smirked, as red chakra gathered around him, kyuubifying his body up to three tails.

**"Prepare yourself, Kenpachi Zaraki!"**

Now Naruto's chakra skyrocketed as well.

He stared at Kenpachi and got into a stance.

The man was quite surprised by this.

"Well Naruto it looks like your strength came back. Tell me, how did you do it?"

Naruto stared at him emotionlessly.

**"Sorry. No time to explain."**

He disappeared and Kenpachi _knew..._

He was coming.

He just _barely _got his blade up to block when Naruto appeared in front of him and slammed his black sword down on Kenpachi's. He drove the man's blade back till it was mere inches from his face.

_'He's pushing harder!'_

They wavered there for a moment, but Naruto clearly had the power advantage again

**"Getsuga Tenshou."**

Kenpachi's eyes widened.

But it was too late as the red chakra slammed into him.

When it cleared, Kenpachi was covered in blood and was breathing raggedly.

Then he saw Naruto on the other side of the field, and there was blue chakra mixing with his red.

Kenpachi laughed, summoning all of his remaining chakra.

_'This next one will decide it!'_

Naruto looked over his shoulder at Zangetsu.

_Are you ready Naruto?_

The blonde smiled.

**"I'm ready."**

Zangetsu smiled and looked down on the youth.

_This boy will go very far in this world._

Naruto gasped as pure blue light flood through him, the voice of his sensei ringing through his ears

"Okay then gaki, take his power and show your sensei who is the strongest one here today."

_'Ero-senin?' _

But he got no answer.

But he knew the voice of his former mentor anywhere.

Master and apprentice had just conversed, even through death.

_'Fine then'._

Naruto nodded and he felt power course through his veins.

_'You better watch this, sensei.'_

Kenpachi's power flared so much that it shredded off his long black sleeves.

"Okay Kenpachi...

"Get ready kid here I come."

A blue fox/mask roared above Naruto, as he pushed himself to his limit.

_I'm at the limit of holding your body together. _

A cackling yellow skull appeared above Kenpachi as he summoned all of his energy.

_We will end this with one blow. _Zangetsu intoned solemnly.

They stepped forward as one, a walk at first, then faster, faster, and faster!

Like lighting they sped towards one another, Naruto was glowing with blue and red energy, while Kenpachi was glowing yellow.

Their run soon became leaps and bounds, as each opposing force was determined to reach their target first!

Time seemed to slow down, as they neared each other.

Grinning wickedly they pulled their blades back!

"THIS IS IT!"

They roared as one!

Together they slammed their weapons forward!

Steel met steel!

Blue met yellow!

There was a massive explosion as the two titans, collided head on...

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Author Notes: **Hello my faithful readers, here is chapter 20 ready for your enjoyment, I hope? There was a lot of editing I had to do this chapter and I've added about 500-1000 words that the original chapter didn't have, mainly in the banquet scenes. Now, the Kenpachi/Naruto fight which does take up the majority of the chapter I kept intact. I did this because 99% of that scene was written by NeonZangetsu and quite frankly I think he did a stellar job in creating it. As always, I'm curious to see what everyone thought about the chapter. Once again, my thanks to everyone for your continued support, now something that is of vital importance to all of us who write or read on FFnet.

**Important News:**

As many of you already know, FFnet has decided to go through a massive upheaval and potentially remove thousands of stories from its library resulting in some of the best fanfics ever written to be deleted and never to be read again. They are removing anything involving sexual situations, or violence, or inspired by a song, the list goes on and on. And we as both writers and readers see this as a gross waste of talent and incredible material. Also for some people, that means the permanent loss of a story. As there are those out there that are never able to recover a story in its original form

FFnet has always been a place for writers to 'Unleash our Imagination' as the tagline states, and now we are having that right to freedom of speech and expression taken away from us. Since when are they allowed to dictate what goes into our stories? They are OUR pieces of work. What if the violence or sexual content is part of the plotline? This whole situation is absurd. There are better ways to deal with 'inappropriate' content' than to remove it altogether. There are so many other options.

The most obvious and easy option would be for FFnet to reestablish an MA rating, which they once had years ago. To further protect themselves, FFnet could institute additional filters such as adult or age verification filters. If FFnet is concerned about falsification of a registration then have an appropriate disclaimer and then there can be no dispute filed against them. In short, there are several avenues that FFnet can take that don't require the arbitrary deletion of thousands of exceptionally written stories by amateur writers.

This is why I'm asking all of my readers to please do the following.

Please contact FFnet via email and voice your complaints about this story removal policy and request that FFnet reestablish or create a "MA" rating to which stories can be rerated. If enough emails flood FFnet, then they have to address the issue. It's very easy to email, just click the "help" feature at the bottom of any FFnet page and it will direct you to the URL to contact FFnet.

Also I would ask that you go to and sign two online petitions fighting against this story removal policy. The first petition already has over 32,000 signatures and is still growing.

**www. change (dot org) /petitions/fanfiction-net-stop-the-destruction-of-fanfiction-net#**

(Just close in the spaces at the beginning to use and input **dot org** and **dot com** correctly)

**www. ipetitions (dot com) /petition/lemons-for-fanfiction/**

I know many people who visit this site are casual readers who don't write stories, pm's, reviews, etc. However, I strongly urge you this one time not to remain silent and to take up the keyboard to express your concerns to FFnet about this story removal policy. Because everyone runs the risk of some if not all of your favorite stories disappearing, unless you allow your voice to be heard demanding otherwise.

Any other authors who wishes to send out a similar plea to their readers are welcome to use this.

I wish to thank everyone in advance for your help on this matter.

Sincerely,

_**Kingkakashi**_


	21. Reconciliation

**Do I Have A Purpose Anymore?**

**Chapter 21: "Reconciliation"**

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Daisuke and his wife rushed out of their tent along with several other people who had heard and felt the massive explosion that shook their camp.

Several miles off in the distance, a large plume of smoke and debris rose towards the heavens, as everyone looked on in astonishment. Most of the bandits were trying to figure out what had happened.

All save Daisuke who knew _exactly_ what had happened and silently mused to himself, as he watched the mushroom shaped plume rise higher and higher.

'_I wonder who won, Kenpachi-sama or Naruto-sama?'_

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Naruto agonizingly rose from the ground where he had landed, and began to cough out some earthen debris.

He spied the impact crater signifying where his Zanpaktou and Kenpachi's had impacted with terrifying results. It looked as if the force of the impact had blown every tree, shrub, and rock formation within a half-mile radius away.

'_Was not expecting that..._ Naruto thought to himself, before the horrific realization hit him.

Nel, Hinata, and the rest of the girls had been observing the fight from a quarter mile away.

Quickly looking over to their position, Naruto couldn't see them, as the dust was still settling over the battlefield.

Immediately, he began running over to check on their condition and make sure they were all right. As Naruto got closer, he started to hear the unmistakable sounds of crying from two little girls. Upon reaching them, Naruto's heart skipped a beat, as he saw Hinata lying prone over a weeping Nel and Yachiru. Judging by Hinata's tattered clothing, it was quite evident to Naruto that she had used her body to shield the little girls from the blast.

Kneeling down to help his surrogate daughter and Yachiru out from under Hinata, Naruto then turned his attention to the Hyuga woman. A sense of relief washed through him when he found she was only unconscious. Looking around, Naruto could find no sign of the others who had been with Nel and Hinata and he asked his sniffling daughter where they were and what had happened.

"I-I don't know where they are? When-when the big boom went off, Hina-chan tharted to thwirl around and thit thiny dome thurrounded me and Yachiru-chan."

'_Hinata used the Hyuga's Hakkeshou Kaiten to protect them from the explosion.'_ Naruto thought to himself, as his daughter continued on.

"B-But the boom tharted to break through the thiny dome and then Hina-chan threw herthelf over me and Yachiru-chan and that's the lath thing I can remember until you got here.

Yachiru nodding in agreement with everything the young girl beside her had said.

"I-Is Hina-chan going to be alright?"

Naruto wiped a tear from the little Arrancars face and smiled before answering in a tender voice:

"Yes little one, she'll be alright, I promise."

It was then that Shunsui, Yoruichi, and Yugito returned earning a deadly glare from Naruto before he spat.

"Well, where _were_ you, while Hinata-chan was busy protecting the kids?"

All three took on a look of guilt and shame before Yoruichi tried to offer up some sort of defense by meekly saying.

"Na- Naruto-kun, when that explosion took place between you and Kenpachi, we only had a second to react. It was just our warrior instincts that kicked in and we automatically leapt or flash-stepped away. We didn't mean to leave the kids unprotected."

That didn't help at all.

"Whether you didn't mean to or not, the fact of the matter is you _did_! But I don't have the time to discuss this with you all right now! Let's get Hinata-chan back to the camp so she can rest up and heal. We will be talking about this later!"

As Naruto knelt down to pickup Hinata...

A ragged voice echoed behind him.

"We ain't finished yet kid!"

Turning around, Naruto was greeted to the sight of a very bloody and battered Zaraki Kenpachi barely standing with his Zanpaktou held shakily in his hand. Naruto could see that Kenpachi was swaying and barely had the strength to hold his sword.

This he stated with authority to the injured hulk of a man.

"Yes we are Kenpachi, stand down."

Kenpachi managed to stand upright.

"I won't stand down kid, not until you put me down!"

"If that is how you want it... Naruto stated, before picking up his Zanpaktou and striding over to him.

He moved with blinding speed.

In one quick slash with sword, Naruto knocked Kenpachi's Zanpaktou out of his hands, then the big man himself down to the turf in an instant. Leveling his sword to Zaraki's throat, Naruto ordered the now defeated Crimson Blade leader to stop.

"Yield Kenpachi, I have no desire to kill you, but I _will_ if you force me too. I would much rather have you as a live ally than as a _dead_ opponent."

Kenpachi looked over to his former Gotei lieutenant and could see a tear rolling down her face. Looking back to Naruto, he exhaled a heavy sigh before he uttered the two words he had _sworn_ never to say.

"I... yield."

Naruto's self satisfied smirk was evident as he removed his mask, giving his orders but seconds later.

"Good! Shunsui, Yoruichi, help with Zaraki. Yugito, you take care of Nel and Yachiru. We're heading back to the camp right now. Naruto then knelt back down to pickup Hinata and carry her in his arms back to the bandit encampment.

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Damn it Sasuke you pompous jerk give up already!" Ino screamed at the Uchiha, as she watched him dodge a torrent of flames that rushed past him.

As Ino fumed, while Sasuke ignored her plea and continued to battle this old man who went by the name of Yamamoto, she thought to herself:

'_That fucking stupid Uchiha asshole! It would serve him right to get killed by this old man. And Sasuke's got no one to blame, but himself and his arrogant attitude if that happens. We traveled all this way to track Naruto to this location, only to find this old man.'_

She rolled her eyes, as Sasuke backpedaled from the fire again.

_'But instead of asking nicely, Mr. I'm an Uchiha demanded that this guy tell us where Naruto is! And when this Yamamoto guy refused, Sasuke had to go and threaten him.'_

She was dimly aware of said Anbu flying across the room from a taijutsu combo.

_'Next thing I know this guy goes super-hulk on us, and starts wiping the floor with Sasuke. Hell, I can't even get close enough to use my jutsu's to help the Uchiha jerk from the heat being generated by the flames surrounding this old man. I only hope this guy doesn't kill me after he's done with Sasuke..._

Yamamoto watched his onyx haired young opponent with red eyes dodge another violent stream of flame sent by his Zanpaktou.

The former Captain of the 13 Court Guard Squads was very annoyed with the attitude and impudence of this young man.

It had a long time since he had battled anyone, but he was going to make sure that this arrogant punk learned the error of daring to threaten him. However, it was then that Yamamoto noticed the young man unsheathe a Zanpaktou and hold it in front of him.

_'Hmm? That is..._

Yamamoto recognizing the blade was quite curious to find out where this youth had gotten it from. Ceasing his attacks, he dispersed the flames around him and called out to the young man.

"Stay your hand young one, if you are agreeable, I am willing to call this fight a draw and answer your question of where Naruto Uzumaki is."

His eyes narrowed.

"Provided you answer a question from me."

Sasuke merely stood there panting and trying to catch his breath.

He was thoroughly exhausted after spending the last few minutes dodging one flame attack after another from this old man. Turning his head to look at Ino, he saw her furiously nodding her head up and down.

Turning back to Yamamoto, he gritted his teeth in anger. His pride nearly made him refuse his opponents offer, but even he could see that this battle was not going to end in his favor.

A snarl escaped him, before he finally answered back in a labored voice.

"A-agreed old man, now where is Naruto?"

"Ah, ah, ah, you answer my question first." Yamamoto replied, while wagging a finger to the Uchiha.

"Fine!" Sasuke grumbled in irritation.

"Who gave you that Zanpaktou, and where may I find him? Do not lie to me, for I will know instantly if you are."

"I got this blade from a man by the name of Byakuya Kuchiki. His clan resides west of the Wind country in a small village to the north called Karakura."

'_As I suspected, so Byakuya Kuchiki was also transported to this plane as well, interesting.'_ Yamamoto silently thought to himself, before Sasuke rang out:

"Alright old man, I answered _your_ question, now answer _mine_!"

Just then a massive chakra explosion from a great distance was felt by everyone present.

Grinning from ear to ear Yamamoto stated with mirth.

"You wanted to know where Naruto Uzumaki is, well, you just got your answer."

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

At that same moment, two Leaf village Jounin had just finished questioning a man in the Wave country who had sold a Katana blade to a masked indigo haired colored girl with white eyes several days ago when they felt the explosion. Looking at one another, Kurenai was the first one to speak.

"Did you feel that Kakashi?"

"Hai Kurenai I did. I think we now know our next destination."

"Why, that's not the direction that man said the masked girl went, who I am sure was Hinata."

"I know, but I can think of only one person capable of a chakra explosion that intense, Naruto. And if it was Naruto that means Hinata will more than likely be heading that way, or is already there."

"That makes sense, alright let's go!"

Kakashi nodded in agreement before both Jounin leapt off in search of the source of the explosion they had sensed.

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Sakura suddenly stopped running through the forest and yelled out for Kiba to halt as well. The Inuzuka heir groused, as he made his way over to his kunoichi partner and asked with annoyance.

"What the hell are we stopping for Sakura?"

"You, you didn't feel that Kiba?"

"Feel what?"

"I'm-I'm not sure, but it felt like a huge chakra spike coming from that direction." Sakura stammered, as she pointed in the opposite direction of where they were headed.

"Well I didn't feel anything, and I'm not about to lose the first solid lead we've had in finding Hinata to go off on some wild goose chase!" Kiba angrily replied.

"Solid lead, what are you talking about? Some drunken traveling merchant who said he saw a masked blue haired girl with white eyes in the Wave country. That's not exactly an ironclad lead."

"Well it's all we've got and that's where I'm headed. You can come if you want, or go off to try and find whatever you _felt_ on your own."

"Fine, we'll go to the Wave country." Sakura replied in frustration before they resumed their trek to the Wave country.

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

It was late in the evening when Naruto who was about to enter his tent where Hinata had been resting since he brought her back from his fight with Zaraki was stopped by Yugito who stated in a stammering guilt-ridden voice.

Naruto-sama,….I, I mean Naruto. I just wanted to apologize for my cowardice earlier today. I truly didn't mean to abandon the children. You have to understand, during the last seven years of being imprisoned by the Akatsuki. I had to learn to take care of myself because no one else was going to. When that explosion took place I acted upon the only emotional safeguard I've known for such a long time….self-preservation, but that is no excuse for fleeing as I did. I just wanted to let you know that it wasn't a conscious decision on my part and I hope you can for it one day."

As Yugito turned to walk away, Naruto grabbed her arm and turned her around before saying.

"Yugito-chan, I don't blame you for your actions today. I understand the suffering you've endured and hold no anger for you because of what happened. The others, they are warriors, people meant to protect people and I expected them to act as such. Do not blame or feel ashamed for yourself because I don't. Now, get some rest as it's going to be a long day tomorrow."

"Thank you Naruto."

As Naruto watched his fellow Jinchuuriki walk away, he reflected upon the day's events after his fight with Kenpachi. Naruto had spent the last several hours getting to know his newly acquired army of men. A few of them complained about Naruto assuming the mantle of their new commander, but when Zaraki had announced to them that Naruto had defeated him in combat.

They quieted down instantly upon hearing that, as no one had ever even come close to defeating their former leader in the past. Naruto named Zaraki his second in command and set up a training regiment for all the men to start going through in the morning. When all was said and done, Naruto was quite tired, as the entire day had been very taxing, but one look at Hinata, as he entered his tent gave him a renewed strength.

Stripping off his mask, shirt, and pants, he lay down next to Hinata and gazed at her serene face while she slept.

Brushing an errant strand of hair out of her face Naruto marveled her natural beauty. It was then that Hinata shifted in her sleep and the sheet covering her body had slipped below her chest revealing a lacy lavender colored French cut bra, which seemed to strain at keeping her ample natural gifts encased.

Naruto remembered that her clothing had been in tatters from protecting Nel and Yachiru. Yugito must have removed them from Hinata when she put her to bed upon their return to the camp. Eying Hinata's chest rising and falling in rhythmic fashion, the slightly perverted nature of Naruto reared its head, as he wondered if the rest of Hinata's clothing matched the bra. Lifting the sheet to peek below, Naruto's eyes grew wide as he thought to himself.

'_It does.'_

"Na-Naruto-kun, what are you doing?"

Hearing Hinata's voice, Naruto immediately dropped the sheet and sat up his face beet red in embarrassment.

"Hi-Hinata-chan, I'm-I'm sorry, I-I was just checking on you and, and …"

Hinata merely grinned at seeing Naruto face so flushed, as he attempted to stammer out an apology and explanation. It was a refreshing reversal, as normally she was the one so flustered around him. Sitting up she cupped his cheek in one hand and kissed his other much to Naruto's surprise, as she said with a slight blush to her own face.

"It's alright Naruto-kun I don't mind you looking."

Naruto looked sheepishly at Hinata before he smiled and began to lean in to kiss her when Hyuga woman exclaimed.

"Nel, Yachiru, are they alright?"

Naruto pulled Hinata into a hug and softly whispered while nibbling on her earlobe.

"They're both fine Hinata-hime thanks to you. I'm sorry you were hurt protecting them."

Hinata tried to stifle a soft moan, as Naruto had began planting butterfly kisses along her neck and jaw line and she asked.

"Th-That's good, ohhhh, um, where-where are they now Naruto-kun?"

"Yoruichi and Shunsui are babysitting them tonight. I made sure the kids got lots of treats, so they should be on a sugar high for the next several hours and keep both of them occupied the rest of the night."

Hinata was finding it increasingly difficult to concentrate and carry on a coherent conversation with Naruto, as he had begun to suck on the sweet spot on her neck he knew about so well. Hinata finally said in a choked voice.

"Why-why did you do that Naruto-kun? Ohhh, yes, right there Naruto-kun!"

"It was the best form of punishment I could come up with for them leaving you and the kids behind when that explosion happened. On the bright-side, I've left word not to be disturbed the rest of the night. From now until morning, it's just you and me my hime." Naruto answered, before planting a soft love bite on the junction of Hinata's neck and shoulder.

Her reaction was rather surprising.

"YES!" Hinata yelled, as she leapt up and knocked Naruto over onto his back in surprise and straddled him, before she began raining kisses furiously down upon his face.

**(Romantic Lemon Begins)**

Their mouths met and Hinata started kissing him fervently. Her tongue begged him to open up and after Naruto recovered from his initial stupor he returned her passion and obeyed. Hinata's tongue entered his mouth, as they advanced and retreated fighting with one another, as each tongue sought to conquer the other. Hinata's hands moved to his face; as she gently caressed it before moving on to fist his hair.

Naruto's arms wrapped around her pulling her closer, as their battle of dominance continued, his left hand moved up and into her hair while his right moved down to her hips. His right hand hovered on her hips briefly and finally moved lower to her butt and playfully grabbed as much as he could squeezing gently. Hinata moaned lustfully at this action into their kiss and seconds later broke the kiss to catch her breath.

Both were panting and blushing, as they looked at each other. Hinata's chest was heaving and Naruto was once again mesmerized, as he watched her entrapped breasts rise and fall within her lavender bra. She realized where he was looking and she smiled shyly, before saying.

"Hey, my eyes are up here."

"Sorry," Naruto's blue orbs flicked up to meet her lavender eyes and she couldn't help but giggle at his rueful expression.

Hinata leaned over his face, her short hair falling around his face like a curtain. Her mouth stopped inches away from his and her eyes locked onto his, as she cooed.

"I-I told you before, I don't mind you looking."

Hinata knew she was blushing at her response and before she gave Naruto a chance to see, she closed the remaining distance and their mouths met again for their second act.

Naruto's right hand continually probed her body while he pushed himself up. Slowly he rose with Hinata on top of him to an almost sitting position with her still straddling him. He broke the kiss and she looked at him quizzically and whispered nervously.

"What's the matter Naruto-kun?"

"Nothing." he smirked as he flipped her over.

"I just like to be on top, remember?" he grunted as his body hovered over her. His hands were placed next to her head and his knees had trapped her hips. Naruto's eyes took on a feral yet loving glint, as he stared down upon her.

Hinata bit the right corner of her lip and shivered in excitement, as she looked at him and felt like trapped prey. She looked at his body looming over him, it was intimidating, but at the same time so arousing. Hinata licked her lips and rubbed her thighs together, as she felt the pressure in her core build further and hotter. Nervously her right hand went up to his cheek, as she watched him close his eyes and lean into her palm. Hinata's arm slowly moved higher until she placed her hand on the back of his neck. Naruto's eyes snapped open and she could see the passion raging within its blue pools. Hinata moaned loudly, as she pulled him down to her and their _third_ battle of dominance began.

Naruto tasted her mouth and savored it with each lasting second and tongue thrust. His eyes were closed and he felt his member slowly swell within his boxers. Naruto felt Hinata's hands travel smoothly along his back and down to his hips and he felt himself being pulled down to her. He obliged and slowly bent his arms, as he lowered himself on top of her. Naruto's swollen mount brushed against her trembling doors and she let out a short breathed moan.

Hinata's fingers clawed into his shoulder and her legs slowly parted. Naruto wanted to savor this moment and refused to lower himself all the way, as he quickly scooted forward on his knees so his hips were positioned above her stomach. He stopped his fight for dominance with Hinata's tongue and started kissing her neck before moving his mouth towards her left ear. Naruto breathed heavily and carefully licked her earlobe. Hearing her moan softly in response, he wrapped his tongue around it and sucked it into his mouth. Naruto switched from sucking over to playfully nibbling on the sensitive meat.

"N-Naruto…" she panted lightly and twisted her head and ear away from his teasing mouth.

He smirked and placed a kiss on her lips but pulled away, as Hinata tried to return it. Naruto shifted his weight more to his knees and he moved his head once again to her neck. He playfully traced kisses down the sides of her neck and stopped on her collarbone. Once there he kissed her and parted his lips slightly. Pushing out his tongue he ran circles on her skin before sucking on it. His left hand moved to Hinata's left breast and he carefully touched it. He tried kneading her breast but found it obstructed by her bra. Naruto grunted in frustration, as he returned his concentration to kissing the Hyuga woman.

Hinata felt his frustration at finding her bosoms contained and she knew that it had to go, but was too breathless at this point to tell him to take the bra off her. She felt him kiss his way into the valley between her breasts and she sucked in a breath. He briefly stayed there before he continued southward down to her stomach. Naruto continually planted soft and gentle kisses on her well toned surface rewarding the woman with goose bumps, as Hinata moaned while her hands shot up and stroked her lover's blonde hair.

Naruto felt Hinata's hands stroking and massaging his head and fisting his mane, as he traced around her belly button with his tongue. In between he placed delicate kisses while his hands rested on the mattress around her. Naruto felt her push his head to go lower, as he stopped and looked up into Hinata's pleading eyes. He swallowed away his nervousness and scooted further along her legs until his face was hovering over her treasure cove which was still covered by a pair of delicate lavender panties.

Naruto placed his hands on her knees, as he pushed her legs further apart and he gently started kissing her inner thighs. He slowly moved along them and stopped hesitantly at her panties. He could smell her juices emanating from her fiery core and he closed his eyes to inhale the intoxicating aroma. Naruto continued with his soft kisses and placed one kiss directly onto her panties over her core. He tasted her juices through the damp cloth and was surprised to find them sweet. Naruto kissed the spot again and pressed down with his lips more aggressively and he heard Hinata gasp.

Her legs snapped close, trapping him where he was as her back arched as pleasure ran up her spine. Hinata moaned his name in ecstasy and only opened her legs after her bout of pleasure receded. She felt him slowly prowl back up to her and she shuddered at every kiss he placed on his way. When his face came into view of her eyes, Hinata's hands cupped his face and pulled it to her own. Her mouth opened and she pulled him down for a kiss, as she slipped her tongue into his and resumed their dance.

Naruto's knees were straining and he lowered himself on top of her. His hard member brushing against her oversensitive core, as her high pitched moan reverberated in his mouth. Naruto broke for air and looked at his panting partner. He leaned back and slid his hands down to her chest. He hooked his thumbs under the straps of her bra and he raised a brow in an unspoken question.

Naruto watched Hinata nod frantically and rose up so he could reach behind her. His fingers made quick work of the release and helped the Hyuga woman out of the annoying bra. Tossing the garment aside, Naruto's hands reached for her fleshy mounds. Kneading and rolling her soft light brown tips between his fingers, Naruto was rewarded with more moans from his partner. He smiled and bent down to suckle her hardening nub, as his fingers continued to play with the other.

Naruto felt her nails dig into his skin with each new moan that vibrated through their mouths. He felt her hands slowly walk down the length of his spine and rest on his butt. A noisy snap followed by an irritating stinging around his waist that told Naruto what Hinata wanted him to do. He smirked while suckling and moved his hands down to his hips where Hinata's were resting. He took her hands into his and slid them under his boxers. Naruto heard Hinata whimper in surprise, as he slid his hands back out and left hers resting on his butt cheeks.

Being on top, Naruto knew he was in control and he shook with arousal when he felt Hinata's trembling hands slowly move from his butt around to his front. When she touched him he groaned and Hinata's hands quickly retreated. Frowning, Naruto stopped suckling and leaned back, as he looked at the quivering girl below him. Hinata's face had turned cherry red and she shyly looked away from him.

Naruto chuckled and saw Hinata look back confusingly at him, a small frown growing on her face as she did. Her lips parted as to speak but Naruto silenced her by placing his right index finger over her lips. He shook his head and smirked, as he slipped off the woman and positioned his face over her lower region. Naruto eyed up her frame and saw she was biting her lower lip in anticipation. Grinning from ear to ear, Naruto lowered his head and with his teeth he carefully bit down on her panties and begin to tug them down her long supple legs. He heard Hinata gasp in surprise and her hips moved rhythmically from side to side helping him slide her panties of her. Next he took off his own boxers and returned to hovering above her.

Both were now flushed with excitement, as they looked at each other and realized that they were completely naked for the first time in over _three_ years with one another. Naruto lowered his head and Hinata met him half way, and their mouths battled once more. He carefully lowered his frame upon hers and their sexes touched and Hinata moaned, as yet another new sensation heated up her inner core.

"I'll be gentle," Naruto whispered, as he looked at her lustful face. Hinata simply shook her head and wrapped her arms around him before saying in a sultry voice

"Don't be."

Naruto groaned upon hearing that and looked down to take hold of his erect member and position it in front of her doors. He felt her arms tighten in anticipation and he slowly pushed inside her slick walls. Naruto entered a quarter-way and stopped, as he looked at her and kissed her briefly. Hinata nodded, before tugging on his butt cheeks firmly in her hands signaling Naruto to advance and find himself ensnared within her core moments later. Never once did Hinata make a noise until he was fully sheathed within her and a heavenly sigh escaped her mouth, as Naruto started pumping slowly.

When Naruto felt Hinata tug on him again, he quickened his pace and started thrusting with more force. As they were bumping hips, their hands and lips wondered across each other bodies. The silence in the room was only broken by her soft moans and Naruto's rare grunts. Their pace sped up the longer they were in their embrace and their breathing turned labored and shorter.

Hinata felt as if she would pass out from the exhilarating pleasure Naruto was giving to her at that moment. This truly was what sex with someone you loved was meant to be like, and God she had _missed_ this for the last three years. This wasn't the two to three minutes of mindless rutting Kiba would do to her. No, she knew that Naruto would take her to new heights of ecstasy, and she would soon be screaming his name to the heavens.

Hinata also knew that Naruto would make sure this would happen and that she was fulfilled before he would even consider his own release. He was not a selfish lover concerned with only his pleasure like Kiba. Naruto truly cared and loved her and would always forgo his own needs, just to make her happy. Tears began streaming down Hinata's face, as she realized how much she truly loved Naruto and would rather die than be apart from him ever again.

Naruto could feel the walls around him tighten and flutter and he knew Hinata was nearing her limit. He himself was only holding back by sheer will for the warmth off her core was overwhelming. Hinata's gasps for air were becoming louder and her nails were breaking his skin, drawing blood slightly, only for the flesh itself to close and heal seconds later. Then suddenly Hinata's back arched and her head snapped back as her mouth opened and she _screamed_.

"NARUTO-KUN!"

When Naruto heard Hinata scream his name, he smiled to himself while he continued to thrust into Hinata and prolong her orgasm as long as possible. It was almost an impossible task, as Hinata gripped his member in such a fiercely tight and undulating motion, it seemed to want to suck him in completely and milk every drop of his essence out of him. It was the most fantastic and pleasurable feeling Naruto had ever experienced, as he thought to himself:

_'Kami how I've missed this!'_

After a couple of minutes of pleasured screaming, Hinata was basking in the afterglow of her first orgasm in over three years before her eyes flew open in realization and could not believe that Naruto was continuing to drive into her. Hinata soon found herself whimpering in delight, as her second orgasm was quickly building to a crescendo. A minute later, she peaked once more and screamed out.

"YES NARUTO-KUN! OH KAMI, I LOVE YOU!"

Naruto could no longer hold back, as he felt Hinata explode all around him and he too shouted out.

"OH KAMI! HINATA-CHAN! I LOVE YOU TOO!"

Naruto then erupted inside Hinata sending torrent after torrent of his seed into her. Hinata felt his warm essence wash over her, and this triggered a third orgasm within her, as she cried out a third time and reveled in the fact that it was Naruto's seed and _no one else's._

"YES NARUTO-KUN! OH YES, FILL ME UP, GIVE ME EVERYTHING!"

**(Romantic Lemon Ends)**

Naruto finally collapsed on top of Hinata breathing heavily, before rolling off to side and bringing his forearm to rest on his forehead. Both he and Hinata were covered in a fine sheen of sweat, as Hinata turned to her side and snuggled into Naruto and rested her head on his heaving well toned chest. Naruto gently kissed the top of her head before saying in a ragged voice.

"Hi-Hinata-chan, that that was ….."

"Amazing!" Hinata stated, finishing his sentence for him.

Naruto chuckled.

"Yeah, it was."

"Naruto-kun, can I ask you something?"

"What is it Hinata-chan?"

"Wh-When you are ready, I would like to go again."

Naruto's eyes grew wide, as he felt Hinata's hand move down his body and he thought to himself.

'OH KAMI!'

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

As Naruto and Hinata entered the main tent to have breakfast with Zaraki and the others the next day, both of them wore smiles upon their faces, as they sat down to eat. Naruto looked around and noticed that both Shunsui and Yoruichi with were fast asleep at the table.

Apparently, both Nel and Yachiru had done their job in keeping his companions up during the night. Naruto chuckled to himself; as Nel and Yachiru came in from playing outside and sat down to eat. Yachiru sat next to Zaraki, while Nel plopped herself down in between Naruto and Hinata receiving a kiss on the forehead from both of them. It was then that the little Arrancar sniffed the air around them and commented to her surrogate father.

"Naru-kun, you thmell like Hina-chan!"

Nel then sniffed again and turned to Hinata and said.

"Hina-chan, you thmell like Naru-chan, how come?"

Hinata turned beet red in embarrassment, while Zaraki spit out his drink in boisterous laughter.

Naruto merely pinched the bridge of his nose, before grumbling.

"Nel-chan, eat your breakfast."

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Author Note: **Hello my faithful readers, I present to you the revised chapter 21 ready for your enjoyment. As you might have noticed, I've now tagged when a romantic lemon is going to start and end in the chapter. I do this as a cautionary procedure because of what's been going on with FFnet recently, as explained in my Author/Note of the last chapter. It is my hope that those readers who do not care for or wish to read a romantic lemon respect that as the author I feel it is necessary for the story. Just as I respect them by providing an indicator of when one is beginning so they do not have to read it.

My apologies in the delay in posting, unfortunately I've had to take on another story I was co-writing with another author in an attempt to finish it. I will do the best I can to post faster, but I ask please be patient. This is now the second story I've been co-writing with another author that I've had to take over solely in an attempt to finish it. So as of now, I've got three multi-chapter stories that I'm trying to stay on top of and it's proving very difficult for me at times. I'm still very pleased that this revised story seems to be a hit with most people. I also want to thank those readers who take the time to leave a review for the tale. They're very helpful in letting me know how the story is progressing with all of you. And they really do assist an author out in knowing what people like about a story. Thanks again to everyone for all of your support.

Take it easy and be good!

_**Kingkakashi**_


	22. Convergence

**Do I Have A Purpose Anymore?**

**Chapter 22: "Convergence"**

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

There was _bound_ to be a reaction to Nel's innocent query.

And a reaction there was.

Yugito who was sitting across from Naruto and Hinata at the large banquet table had been eyeing the couple ever since they entered the tent. The Nibi Jinchuuriki had noticed the way Hinata now held herself. She was practically glowing, not to mention the warm smile and the way she was all but _nestled_ into Naruto, the way his arm was draped about her shoulders, drawing her close. However, it wasn't until she heard Nel's questions that she then understood why.

"**You should have claimed that** **delicious blonde hunk of man-meat when I told you to kitten. Now it looks like you've lost out to white eyes over there." **Nibi purred inside Yugito's mind.

'_Would you shut-up!'_ Yugito silently snapped at her tenant.

'**Purrrrrrr, it seems I've hit a nerve!'**

'_You're wrong, I, I, don't care if Naruto and Hinata have, have…'_ Yugito stammered in her mind trying to find the words she wanted to say, but failing.

The former Cloud kunoichi bolted upright from where she sat at the table and before anyone could stop her rushed out of the tent, as a myriad of emotions flooded her brain.

Naruto winced, as he saw Yugito's eyes grow wide in realization and he knew she had figured it out by the confused and hurt expression on her face when she left. Hinata gently squeezed his hand and whispered.

"I'll talk to her Naruto-kun."

"So, you two were knocking boots last night!" Yoruichi quipped with a tint of jealousy, as she had woken up just in time to hear Nel's questions and witness Yugito's response.

"Naru-kun, what doth knocking booth mean?" Asked Nel innocently, further adding to the chaos that had ensued.

Both Naruto and Hinata began blushing cherry red, before the blonde Jinchuuriki pinched his nose and looked away and said.

"I'll...tell you when you're older….much older." Naruto grumbled in annoyance.

For the second time that morning, Kenpachi spit out his drink and roared with unabashed laughter.

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"What the hell is going on here?" One of the lower more nondescript bandits whispered to another, as Naruto finally made his grand entrance from the main tent, officially marking him as the new leader of the Crimson Blade bandits.

However, Naruto did not look pleased, not at all. Add in the effect of wearing his skull mask and you had a rather terrifying figure standing before the bandits. Kenpachi was to his left, both his arms crossed with a seemingly disinterested expression on his face. Yachiru of course was perched upon his shoulder, smiling happily. To Naruto's right was Shunsui, who also seemed disinterested, if the yawn he let loose was any indication. However, no one took notice of any of this, as every single bandit's attention was focused solely on Naruto.

"Why does he look like he's about to kill all of us?" One bandit murmured to his comrade.

For indeed if looks could kill the lot of them with a few minor exceptions such as Daisuke, Yumichika and Ikkaku would have dropped dead by now, so seemingly deadly was the intensity of Naruto's glare. One of them actually tried to run, but Ikkaku roughly dragged him back by the collar.

Naruto allowed a feral grin to creep up upon his face inside his mask, before his metallic echo of a voice spoke.

**"Hello maggots, I'm so **_**glad**_** you're all here!"** A few of the bandits gulped nervously, as he stepped further out from the tent.

**"Zaraki may not have told you why I came here." **

When Naruto's ears were greeted with nothing but a tense silence, he arched an eyebrow before adding.

**"Anyone interested? I promise you, it won't be boring."**

A few of the bandits in front grumbled an affirmative and in the span of five minutes, the Jinchuuriki had outlined his plan to them. Needless to say, he received a mixed reaction. Some of the more powerful bandits, such as Daisuke, looked interested yet slightly skeptical, whilst the weaker members looked downright petrified.

**"I can't promise you victory, but I _can_ promise you fame, glory and more importantly money."**

An excited murmur ran through the crowd of bandits upon hearing the last part of Naruto's statement. Unsheathing Zangetsu, Naruto held it aloft, its silvery tip glimmering in a mixture of orange and red light from the early morning sun.

**"I can promise you, that if you survive the hellish weeks of training that I have in store for you, then you'll become stronger than you've ever dreamed possible."** As Naruto held the gleaming blade aloft, his tone began to take on a more feverish pitch.

**"And I promise you, this will be the battle of the century, one that will not be forgotten, no matter how many years pass us by! And the wealth you will obtain should you survive shall allow you to relive the memory of your triumph of that battle in relative comfort the rest of your lives!"**

Everyone was so caught up in his speech, that their faces not to mention their hearts fell at what he said next.

**"However!"** Naruto growled, as he lowered Zangetsu and pointed it at the men before him, as he scowled and declared.

**"If any of you have doubts, if any of you wish to leave, now is the time to do it."** Naruto spoke ominously, addressing the group as a whole.

**"Because I will _not_ tolerate any cowardice and I will not have any deserters in my ranks, do you understand?"**

A moment of tense silence gripped the bandits once again, but when Kenpachi flicked out his zanpaktou from its sheath using nothing but his thumb and growled. Those who would've turned tail and run under normal circumstances decided staying was in there best interests, lest they be slain where they stood, as the memory of their former leader was still fresh in their minds.

Yet one man mustered up the courage to walk away and then two more, although they all kept nervously glancing over their shoulders to see if Kenpachi would come after them. Indeed Zaraki was about to cut them down, but Naruto shook his head and the former Gotei 13 Captain stayed his hand.

**"Last chance."** Naruto stated, as his gaze traveled over the ragtag group of bandits, most of which were still there either out of fear, overconfidence, or just plain greed.

**"After this, if I catch any of you trying to jump ship, and rest assured I will catch you, have no doubt about that, then you will find out that death is the least of your worries."**

Everyone turned white as a sheet, but only one more man left.

The rest remained where they were, rooted in place.

"Naru's pretty scary, he kind of reminds me of you Kenny." Yachiru commented, as she swung her legs to and fro from her customary perch.

**"Alright, your training starts right now, let's move out!"** Naruto ordered with authority, as the remaining Crimson Blade bandits started shuffling out. All of them silently wondering, as they followed Naruto what their new leader had in store for them...

If only they knew...

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Tsunade sat at her desk and stared at the mountain of paperwork sitting upon it, but she had no desire to work on any of it. Gazing at a clock, she saw that she still had a few hours to go before the sun set on another miserable day. And with the passing of another day, this only served to remind Tsunade that the time limit she had granted Sasuke to bring Naruto back to the village had long since passed. The blonde Hokage had received no word from either Sasuke or Kakashi and she now knew that two of her strongest shinobi were at this moment no longer looking to retrieve her surrogate little brother, but to kill him. What made this situation unbearable for Tsunade was the fact they were now doing this upon her orders as Hokage. The mere thought of this caused Tsunade to weep slightly, before she heard some yelling outside of her office. A moment later, her office doors flew open and in strode the respective heads of two of Konoha's most powerful clans, Hiashi Hyuga and Tsume Inuzuka. Tsunade quickly wiped away any remnant of her tears before standing up and slamming her hands down upon her desk, which caused the entire room to violently shake before shouting with irritation.

"What is the meaning this?"

"Forgive this intrusion Hokage-sama, but I and this old Hyuga fool have an urgent matter to discuss with you." Tsume Inuzuka politely stated while bowing.

"Watch your mouth you mangy old bitch before I put you down!" Hiashi sneeringly commented, as Tsume growled at him in response to his insult.

"Enough, both of you! Unless you have something that requires my attention, the two of you can take your little fight out of my office and away from me!" Tsunade shouted in anger.

"I apologize to you Hokage-sama, but we do have a matter which requires your attention. I formally request that the marriage between my daughter Hinata and her husband Kiba Inuzuka be null and voided."

This piqued Tsunades curiosity upon hearing this, as she sat down in her chair. It was Hiashi that had pushed for this clan marriage three years ago, but now he wants it dissolved, as if it had never happened. Tsunade definitely wanted to hear what caused this change of attitude within the Hyuga patriarch and bade them to take a seat before she asked.

"Exactly upon what grounds do you want the marriage voided for Hiashi?"

"Quite simply Hokage-sama the Inuzuka whelp marriage has failed to produce any heirs. And the Inuzuka clan itself has been quite obstinate in their defiance of proposals the Hyuga clan have put forth within the Konoha Council."

'_Ahhh, there it is, the real reason Hiashi wants to cut ties with the Inuzuka clan. I'm sure he thought with Hinata and Kiba's marriage that Tsume and her clan would fall in line with what the Hyuga clan desires within the Council. You stupid old fool! Did you really believe that Tsume would bow down to your political ambitions just because of your daughter's marriage to her son? And to think you purposely ruined your own daughter happiness for nothing more than an attempt to further your power within the village. You truly are one of the cruelest bastards I've ever met Hiashi Hyuga, and I hope Kami has a special place in Hell for you when you finally die!'_ Tsunade thought to herself, as she stared with disgust at the Hyuga male before turning her attention to Tsume and asking.

"Tsume, what are your thoughts on this matter?"

"I have no objections of nullifying the marriage of my son from that Hyuga harlot. She has caused him nothing but heartache by running away to chase after that loathsome adulterous Uzumaki brat!" Tsume replied with spite.

Tsunade felt her anger quickly boil at what Tsume had just said. Not only about Naruto but also about Hinata as well, as she said through gritted teeth.

"Tsume, you are an old friend of mine and I will give you a pass that what you just said is because of the grief you feel over what has happened to Kiba. But if ever hear you speak about Naruto or Hinata like that again, you'll be leaving this office on a stretcher! You know as well as I do that Hinata has been faithful to your son their entire marriage. And Naruto has done nothing but respect the sanctity of that marriage since its inception."

"Then why did she run off after him, if he's done nothing wrong Hokage-sama?" Tsume snapped back with anguish.

"Because Hinata loves Naruto and not your son! I know that's hard for you to hear, but it's the facts of the matter. And don't pretend you were oblivious to this Tsume or you either Hiashi. You both knew whom Hinata's heart belonged to before you rammed this arranged marriage down her throat."

"Yes, I knew." Tsume quietly replied.

"Yet you still let this power hungry bastard sitting next to you talk you into going through with the marriage even though you knew it would destroy both Hinata and Naruto, why Tsume, why did you do that?"

"Now see here!" Hiashi spoke up in objection to being insulted.

"Shut up Hiashi, I'll get back to you in a moment! Right now I'm speaking to Tsume and if you want me to annul this marriage, you'll sit there and keep your mouth shut! Now Tsume, I'll ask again, why did you do that?"

"I, I, did it because I love my son and he was so desperately in love with the girl I just wanted to see him happy. I like Hinata and I know she has remained faithful to Kiba during their marriage and I know that Naruto has always been a loyal friend to my son and would never betray him in anyway. I apologize for what I said about them."

"I'm sorry about the pain you and your son are going through right now Tsume. But the two of you need to realize that Hinata doesn't love Kiba, at least not in the way you both want her to. She will always love Kiba as a close friend and comrade, but Hinata has and always will be in love with Naruto, and I'm sorry but there is nothing you or anyone can do to change that."

"I know I had just hoped that one day Hinata would learn to love Kiba the way he loved her. That's why I agreed to the marriage Tsunade." Tsume replied the regret etched in her voice.

"Hinata tried; she tried for over three years to be a good wife to your son. Which wasn't easy, considering how Kiba treated Hinata more like a possession or a trophy than as a wife?"

"I know she did Tsunade and I know my son could have been a much better husband in how he treated her. I thought eventually Kiba would come to realize how he was acting and maybe he would have? But I guess Hinata had finally reached her limit with him." Tsume commented with a heavy sigh.

"So Tsume, if you agree to this annulment with Hiashi, what exactly is the problem?"

"The problem is this Hyuga asshole wants my clan to pay him compensation for the nullification of the marriage!" The Inuzuka clan leader spat with anger, as she glared at her fellow clan head.

"I see nothing wrong with that considering my daughter spent three unproductive and unappreciated years married to her whelp, as you two just got done talking about. And since he failed to produce any type of heir for either clan, than monetary reparation for my clan is not unreasonable." Hiashi coldly stated.

"Why you smug, arrogant, bastard! How dare you place the blame of them having no children on my son alone!" An enraged Tsume screamed.

"Well, you certainly can't blame my daughter. Hyuga women have always been very fertile, so if your mongrel of a son had been doing his job correctly, they certainly would have had at least one if not more children by now!"

Tsunade had to step in-between Tsume and Hiashi, as they both leapt up from their chairs before an all out brawl took place and shouted at the pair of clan leaders.

"Both of you either calm down right now and act like adults or I'll throw you into separate Anbu jail cells until you cool down. Now the two of you sit back down and be quiet while I make my ruling, which I will remind the both of you, will be the final say on this matter."

Both clan heads hesitantly sat back down while glaring at one another before Tsunade cleared her throat and said.

"Ahem, now Hiashi is it your clan that is filing for the annulment of Hinata and Kiba's marriage?"

"That is correct Hokage-sama."

"And you Tsume, do you agree to this annulment of your son's marriage filed by Hiashi?"

"Yes, Lady Tsunade I do."

"Very well, than I agree that compensation is in order on this matter before I void this marriage."

"But, but, Lady Tsunade, you, you can't mean . . . . ." Tsume stammered in disbelief, before Tsunade held up her hand to silence the woman, while Hiashi smirked.

"Yes Tsume, I do. Hiashi Hyuga, since you are the active party wishing to dissolve this marriage, your clan will pay the Inuzuka clan in recompense for this $1,000,000 ryo's for each year of Hinata's marriage to Kiba. This over a three year period comes to a grand total of $3,000,000 ryo's."

The smirk that Hiashi had held upon his face quickly disappeared after hearing this. And jumping up from his chair once more, his face flushed with rage he stammered.

"That, that is preposterous! The Hyuga clan refuses to pay anything to the Inuzuka's over this matter. The Hyuga clan is the injured party here not them!"

"Shut the Hell up Hiashi! Neither you nor your clan is an injured party in this matter. The only injured parties are those two kids whose marriage were now voiding. And since you and your clan are the ones wanting this annulment, then your clan is the one who will pay to make it happen! Unless of course you want them to stay married and perhaps finally produce this heir you've been screaming for." Tsunade fired back at the fuming Hyuga leader.

"Hmph, I'd sooner accept an heir from the Uzumaki brat, then ever have anything to do with this wretched canine clan anymore!"

"Well, there is another option I suppose, but I'm not sure you would agree to it? Because of the great love you hold for your daughter." Tsunade stated with a hint of sarcasm at the end.

"What would this other option be Hokage-sama?"

"It's really quite simple Hiashi. If you were to banish your daughter from the Hyuga clan and renounce any rights or claims you have on her. Then this becomes nothing more than a normal ending of a simple marriage, as opposed to the nullification of a politically arranged marriage between two prominent clan heirs. To which if you do this, Hinata will now become a mere Konoha citizen and no compensation will be required to either clan to affect the annulment of the marriage. If you would like some time to think this over, I'd be glad to grant . . ."

"I agree to those terms." Hiashi quickly announced, interrupting Tsunade.

Tsunade looked up in surprise at how quickly Hiashi had agreed to banish his own daughter from the Hyuga clan. She looked upon the man with renewed disgust before asking with contempt ringing in her voice.

"Hiashi Hyuga, is it your position that you relinquish all rights and obligations towards your daughter Hinata and she now becomes an ordinary citizen of the village? If so, you need to sign a parental-clan release form Hiashi authorizing to legally do this."

"Fine, whatever, I could care less. Hinata is of no use to the clan anymore, not after serving as a rutting post for the Inuzuka mongrel the last three years. No decent clan of any of the Elemental nations will want her now that she's damaged goods. I wash my hands of her and she can live in the streets for all I care." Hiashi callously remarks.

"Your concern for your daughter's future well being is touching Hiashi, sign at the bottom if you would." Tsunade sarcastically says as she hands the form to Hiashi.

After Hiashi signs the document absolving him of any rights or claims to Hinata, he hands it back to the Hokage. Tsunade looks at the document for a moment and a sad smile appears on her face as she affixes the Hokage's stamp of approval to it, before looking back at Hiashi and saying.

"Alright Hiashi, its official now. Hinata Hyuga is now a normal ordinary citizen of Konoha and officially by your order has no ties to the Hyuga clan any longer. As such, I will grant the annulment of her marriage and no compensation will be levied against your clan. If you have nothing else to discuss with me you can leave, as I find the mere sight of you revolting to look at right now."

"As if I care Hokage-sama." Hiashi sneered, before turning and storming out of the office.

After the door slammed behind the insulted Hyuga patriarch, a stunned Tsume turned to look at the blonde Hokage and asked with bewilderment.

"Why in Kami's name did you do that for Tsunade?"

"What did I do Tsume?"

"What did you do, you just left Hinata without a home should she return to the village! I may not be happy with the girl because of what has happened between her and my son. But I don't want to see her homeless and out in the streets."

"Oh is that all, please, Hinata is well loved by many people especially her friends. It's not like she would ever have to worry about not having a roof over her head."

"But that still doesn't explain why you had Hiashi banish his own daughter?"

"I didn't have Hiashi do anything; he made that choice all on his own. I merely provided the option to him. He didn't have to use it if he didn't want to."

"But, but . . . . . .?"

"I did it Tsume because I owed the girl. Three years ago Hinata came to me terrified and begging for my help to stop or escape her arranged marriage to Kiba."

"Oh, I see." Tsume quietly replied.

"No, you don't see. It wasn't the prospect of being married to your son that terrified her. Hinata truly cares about and loves your son, but as I said before, not in the way you and Kiba wanted her to. No, what terrified Hinata was the fear of losing Naruto forever because of the marriage. The girl pleaded with me then with tears in her eyes to help her in some way. But instead of trying to help Hinata, I chose the cowardly way out and told her I couldn't get involved in between the affairs of two clans and showed her the door. And by doing that, I essentially sent the girl back into the clutches of that evil, self-serving bastard who was just here."

A couple of minutes of silence filled the room before Tsume spoke up once more and asked.

"You say Hinata was scared of losing Naruto because of her marriage to my son. I don't understand, if she loves the Uzumaki boy that much, she could have covertly continued to see him even after she was married to Kiba. Why, did she have such a fear that her marriage would cause her to lose Naruto forever?"

"Because Tsume, both Hinata and Naruto have something that unfortunately a lot of people lack within them, a sense of honor. Once she was officially married to your son, both she and Naruto would have nothing to do with each other anymore. The thought of what you just suggested would never have occurred to them, as they would never dishonor themselves, the marriage, or hurt your son by committing such a betrayal."

Tsume nodded her head in understanding, before Tsunade continued on.

"So I did nothing to help Hinata back then and by doing so, I helped to destroy not only her happiness, but also the happiness of my little otoutosan as well. Hinata was right of course, once she was married, Naruto respectfully bowed out of her life. I'd held out hope in the beginning that the Yamanaka girl would be able to help him overcome his grief at losing Hinata. And after a year it seemed like she had. But then when she left him for the Nara heir, I knew it was over. After that happened, I watched Naruto slowly die on the inside with each passing day, as he shut down his emotions and sought nothing but solitude. And to this day, I will never forgive myself for the part I played in that!"

Tsume nodded her head once again in understanding, before Tsunade then said.

"I don't have the opportunity anymore with Naruto to try and make amends for what I did. But as for Hinata, if she does return to the village, than at least I've given her the opportunity to live her life free from Hiashi's oppressive control. That's why I brought up the banishment option to her father. It doesn't make-up for not helping Hinata three years ago, but it's a start. And I can only pray to Kami that if she does return, she'll have Naruto with her."

The room once again was filled with silence, before Tsume lamentably commented.

"As much as I hate to agree with Hiashi, I do wish Kiba and Hinata had blessed us with a grandchild and heir to my clan."

Tsunade cocked an eyebrow the Inuzuka clan matriarch, before scoffing in disbelief and said.

"Oh don't hand me that crap Tsume. I know of at least two civilian girls over the past three years who have given you a grandchild due to your son's…indiscretions shall we say and you know about them to."

Tsume turned her head away in shame, before looking back with tears welling in her eyes and sadly replied.

"Yes I know about them Tsunade and there are three, not two."

"Then you have your heirs to the clan, several of them in fact."

"But none of them are from a shinobi clan and are just civilians. Inuzuka tradition mandates that any heir to the clan must come from a union of two shinobi clans."

"Oh screw tradition, it's an archaic law and serves no purpose anymore. And you mean to tell me because of tradition you're going to force these three civilian girls to raise their children alone and without any help or recognition from the Inuzuka clan. My Kami Tsume, I'd expect something like that from that Hyuga bastard who was just here and his clan, but I certainly never would have expected it from you or your clan."

A brief moment of anger flashed across Tsume's face at what Tsunade had just said, before it disappeared, as the Inuzuka clan leader realized that the blonde Hokage was right. Rising slowly, Tsume got up and made her way to the door before turning around and saying.

"Thank you Lady Tsunade, I've learned a great many things today and you've given me much to think about."

However, before she left, Tsume turned back to Tsunade and stated with sadness.

"I'll admit, when I first found out that Hinata had left my son to go chase after the Uzumaki boy, I was very upset and hated and cursed the both of them. I thought they had planned all of this in advance and had betrayed Kiba most heinously. But now I know that is not the case. I can't say that I'm ready yet to forgive Hinata for hurting Kiba. But at least I now understand her motivations behind her actions and know that even after all the sins he's committed against her during their marriage Hinata never purposely meant to hurt my son. I'll take my leave now Hokage-sama and you have a good day."

"You as well Tsume Inuzuka." Tsunade replied, as she watched the clan leader leave her office.

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Hinata took a deep breath to calm herself as she approached Yugito's tent. The young Hyuga girl wasn't exactly sure what she was going to say to her newfound friend and companion, but knew she needed to say something as she tentatively called out.

"Yugito-chan, may I come in and speak with you."

"I, I really don't feel like talking to anyone right now." The Nibi vessel answered in a choked voice.

Deciding not to take no for an answer Hinata entered the tent anyway and said.

"I really think we should talk about me and Naruto-kun to try and explain." Hinata replied nervously, as she sat down on the ground across from Yugito.

"What about him?" Yugito spat bitterly before continuing.

"There's nothing to explain, I should have guessed Naruto would be with you Hinata, you were his first true love. I was a fool to think that Naruto might care about me after he learned what I had been through at the hands of the Akatsuki. I'm nothing but trash in his eyes in comparison to a princess like you."

A resounding smack echoed through the air, as Yugito held a hand to her face on her left cheek, her ears cringing as a very, very angry Hinata yelled at her.

"Look Yugito-chan, I know you're hurt right now, but that gives you no right to speak such lies about Naruto-kun! If he says that he cares about you then you should know very well that he does!"

After a moment, as the tension died down Hinata spoke once more.

"I'm sorry for striking you, but I just got angry at hearing you insult Naruto-kun."

"It's ok Hinata, I guess I deserved that. I'm sorry about my reaction this morning; I was just caught by surprise. I mean you and I had talked before and you said you didn't mind sharing Naruto-kun with someone else, if he truly loved that person as well. I guess I thought you had betrayed me just like everyone else and taken Naruto-kun for only yourself."

"I would never do that to you. What happened last night wasn't planned on either my own or Naru-kun's part. It was just a spur of the moment type thing, that's all. Can I ask you a question Yugito-chan?"

Yugito nodded her head in response.

"Do you love Naruto-kun?"

The former Cloud kunoichi exhaled a heavy sigh, as she had been hoping Hinata wouldn't ask her that question, because truthfully she didn't know the answer to it herself.

"I don't know, I think I love him, but I'm not even sure I know what love is anymore. I know I feel a sense of kinship with him being a fellow Jinchuuriki. And I know I feel safe and protected when I'm around him since he rescued me from the Akatsuki and saved my life, but is that love or just gratitude? I'm so confused Hinata, I know have deep feelings for Naruto-kun, but I just don't know if it's love?"

"Have you told Naruto-kun about your feelings?"

"Hai, I did and Naruto-kun did give me hope when he asked me to just give him some time and he thought he could grow to love me, as much as he does you."

"Then you have nothing to worry about, just give him the time and I promise you and he can share the same life together that I hope to share with him and you as well Yugito-chan."

"Thank you Hinata-chan." Yugito replied, before the two women hugged one another.

"Can I ask you a question Hinata-chan?"

"Of course."

"Can you tell me about you and Naruto-kun's life growing up in the Leaf village?"

Hinata paused a moment to ponder Yugito's request before saying.

"It's a long story, but we do have the time, so where should I begin?"

"How about when you first saw Naruto-kun."

Hinata nodded her head and the two women then began talking for the next several hours.

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Ino could still detect vague traces of tainted chakra hanging ominously in the air from the day before.

She had felt this malignant energy at least once before in her life.

_'Kyuubi…'_

As she and Sasuke increased their speed, they followed the distant malignant energy that seemed to blaze a trail they hoped would lead them to Naruto. With every turn they took and every tree they leapt from, the very _air _was permeated with the noxious energy, to the point where a lesser shinobi would have vomited.

Then suddenly, all at once it vanished.

A sense of serene peace was left in its wake.

Then there it was.

Though it was far away Ino could feel Naruto's distinctive chakra signature and it was somewhere over the distant horizon.

It might take at least a couple of day's worth of travel and then they'd have caught up with Naruto, or at least she hoped as much. Yet, Ino felt frightened at the result of what Naruto's reaction might be upon seeing her again, _now_ she was having second thoughts?

_'No...' _She told herself in her mind.

Ino was firm in her belief that chasing Naruto had been the right thing to do, but...

She was _scared_.

Sasuke noticed this and slowed to a halt to prevent himself from outdistancing her.

"Ino, are you okay?"

She shook her head, slowly at first, then frantically, as if she were afraid to take another step. Her breathing began to hasten, almost as if she were about to hyperventilate. As it was, her eyes were wide, swimming with fresh tears.

All at once panic seized Ino, angst gripping her soul with apprehension.

"No! No I'm not!"

Sasuke let out a small gasp, when Ino suddenly seized him by the shoulders and shook him roughly.

"Don't you get it? We haven't spoken to each other in two years! What if he still hates me?"

Sasuke was struck speechless.

Finally, he managed to squirm free of her grip.

"You really love him, don't you?"

Ino gave a solemn nod, before nervously looking to the ground, as she thought of Naruto once again. Sasuke sighed, as he realized that his traveling companion needed to stop and try and calm her fears about seeing Naruto. Looking over to the setting sun, Sasuke decided now was as good a time as any to stop and setup camp to rest. Both he and Ino had pushed hard throughout the day in their attempt to catch up with Naruto, and the two of them were quite tired from the effort.

Silently, Sasuke realized Ino wasn't the only person there with fear of what a reunion with Naruto might mean. Sasuke knew that the time limit Tsunade had granted him had run out. And when he next saw Naruto, if he were to follow his Hokage's orders he was to eliminate his friend at once. The mere thought of having to do that Sasuke did not relish one bit. So any delay in finding Naruto was actually welcomed by the Uchiha at this point, as he still did not know what he was going to do when he and Ino would eventually find Naruto. Sasuke turned to his fellow Anbu companion and said.

"Let's setup camp here and try and get some rest. We'll probably catch up with Naruto in a day or two, so there's no reason for us to rush in finding him. After a good night's rest, we'll start again in the morning. Does that sound alright with you Ino?"

Ino looked up from the ground and gave a small smile before nodding her head in approval, before she and Sasuke began to unpack their gear and setup their accommodations for the night.

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

It was late in the evening as Kurenai and Kakashi sat around a small campfire in silence. The Konoha Jounins had spoken very little throughout the day. Things had been uneasy between the two of them since the unfortunate incident in the sleeping bag. And both of them felt foolish that such a thing had inadvertently caused a change in their relationship. Truth be told, it was more than the incident that was bothering the two.

It was the fact that both of them were wrestling within their minds certain new feelings that they had developed for the other person. And while both of them silently grappled with these new found emotions, neither one was ready to admit to the other person or even themselves that these new emotions now existed. It was Kakashi who finally broke the silence and announced.

"Well, if Naruto's position doesn't change, we may reach him in a day or two. We should head out as soon as we can tomorrow, so I'm going to get some sleep, goodnight Kurenai."

"Goodnight Kakashi."

As Kurenai watched Kakashi settle into his sleeping bag, a cold, stiff wind blew through their encampment and caused the red-eyed Jounin to shiver. It was then Kurenai inwardly cursed as she remembered she still was without a sleeping bag of her own. She shivered once more as another wind came blowing through the camp. Exhaling a heavy sigh, Kurenai begrudgingly realized what she had to do, as she called out in a soft voice.

"Kakashi, are you asleep yet?"

Kakashi rolled over to face his traveling companion and noticed her shivering, as he answered.

"No, I'm still awake as you can see."

"Well, I'm sorry to ask this, but can I share your sleeping bag with you again this evening?"

Kakashi cocked his visible eyebrow in curiosity before asking.

"I don't know, you're not going to hit me again in the morning when you wake up are you?"

"No, I'm not going to hit you again!" Kurenai replied in an exasperated tone.

"Are you sure you won't hit me, even if _that_ happens again?" Kakashi asked, as he took a quick glance downward to indicate what he was talking about.

Kurenai blushed, as the memory of _that_ entered her mind before she softly stammered.

"N, no Kakashi, I promise I won't hit you even-even if _that_ happens again."

Kakashi took a moment to consider the situation before he saw Kurenai shiver once more under a cruel cold wind gust. He then reached over and opened the flap to his sleeping bag and held it open to silently invite Kurenai to share his sleeping bag with him once again. Kurenai quickly and without hesitation this time crawled into the sleeping bag and snuggled up against Kakashi, while he tentatively wrapped his arms around her to warm her up. As she got comfortable, she looked up to his face and sternly said:

"Now you remember no fun . . . . ."

"No funny stuff, yeah, yeah I got it Kurenai!" Kakashi answered with a little annoyed sarcasm in his voice. Before he and his traveling companion quickly fell asleep under the soft glow of their dying campfire.

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Author Notes: **Hello my faithful readers, here is chapter 22 ready for your enjoyment, I hope? There wasn't a huge amount of editing and rewriting, as I had written the majority of the original chapter. But what I did add which was roughly 1000-1500 words was significant from a storyline standpoint. I will probably update one more chapter to this story and "Supreme Genetics - Creation of a New Bloodline" but after that I need to concentrate on getting the next chapter of "Naruto vs Sasuke: The Aftermath" written and posted. I want to thank those readers who took the time to leave a review for the tale last chapter. They're very helpful in letting me know how the story is progressing with all of you. And they really do assist an author out in knowing what people like about a story. Once again, my thanks to everyone for your continued support, now something that is of vital importance to all of us who write or read on FFnet.

**Important News:**

As many of you already know, FFnet three months ago decided to go through a massive upheaval and potentially remove thousands of stories from its library resulting in some of the best fanfics ever written to be deleted and never to be read again. They are removing anything involving sexual situations, or violence, or inspired by a song, the list goes on and on. And we as both writers and readers see this as a gross waste of talent and incredible material. Now a lot of people erroneously believed that FFnet had ended this policy, unfortunately that is not the case. As I learned one of the best authors on this site VFSNAKE had one of his stories removed just last week by FFnet. So I'm asking all of my readers to please do the following.

Please contact FFnet via email and voice your complaints about this story removal policy and request that FFnet re-establish or create a "MA" rating to which stories can be re-rated. If enough emails flood FFnet, then they have to address the issue. It's very easy to email, just click the "help" feature at the bottom of any FFnet page and it will direct you to the URL to contact FFnet.

I know many people who visit this site are casual readers who don't write stories, pm's, reviews, etc. However, I strongly urge you this one time not to remain silent and to take up the keyboard to express your concerns to FFnet about this story removal policy. Because everyone runs the risk of some if not all of your favorite stories disappearing, unless you allow your voice to be heard demanding otherwise.

Any other authors who wish to send out a similar plea to their readers are welcome to use this.

I wish to thank everyone in advance for your help on this matter.

Sincerely,

_**Kingkakashi**_


	23. The Power Women Can Possess

**Do I Have A Purpose Anymore?**

**Chapter 23: "The Power Women Can Possess"**

* * *

Kurenai felt his lips brushing gently upon hers, as he probed into her warm mouth with his moist, soft tongue. She could feel a sense of joy growing in her once lonely soul, as she kissed back deeply and lovingly. Kurenai felt his arms wrap around her cold, aching body, warming it up so much and making her feel safe and loved. It felt so comfortable within his welcoming arms and she felt incredibly contented at that moment.

When they finally parted, Kurenai felt his lips placing gentle feather-like kisses on her neck, as she arched her head back, to expose more of her neck to him. As he gently licked and nibbled at her neck, a small moan of pleasure escaped from Kurenai's mouth when she felt his gentle, wet, and hot kisses trail down from her ear to her collarbone.

As he continued to place kisses her neck, Kurenai reached out to run her fingers through his soft, touchable hair, while rubbing the back of his neck. Soon she felt his hand softly cup her breast before a thumb flicked across her left nipple through her wrappings, as he gently fondled her breasts. Kurenai could feel an intense pleasure rising from within her and she could feel her nipples hardening under his soothing touch and driving her mad with desire.

Reaching out and pulling his head back up, Kurenai's lips crashed down upon his once more. As their lips and tongues played with one another in a gentle game of tag, Kurenai couldn't help but feel her body become alive as she savored the taste and feel of his lips on hers. Love seemed to swell deeply in Kurenai's heart, as she kissed with unbridled passion while pulling him closer to her. It was then the would be lovers each moaned the others name in blissful unison.

"Kurenai!"

"Kakashi!"

At that moment, two sets of eyes snapped open from their slumber, as each Jounin stared with shock and awe at the other. Both of them unable to speak due to the fact of their tongues being in the others mouth at that time. After a moment, Kurenai broke their embrace and frantically scrambled out of the sleeping bag. Kakashi quickly sat up, as both he and Kurenai stared silently at one another in astonishment. Each of them was unable to say a word, before Kurenai turned on her heels and ran out of the encampment.

"Kurenai wait, I'm . . . . . . . sorry!" Kakashi finally over his shock attempted to say to the fleeing kunoichi. The last part of his apology seemingly dying on the wind, as Kurenai was gone before he could finish his plea.

Pulling his mask back up, Kakashi's head hung low in both anger and despair. The anger he felt was at himself for breaking his promise to Kurenai even if he hadn't consciously done it. And the despair that he had inadvertently hurt her and perhaps had forever ruined their friendship. Silently, the masked Jounin berated himself for what had happened.

'_Damn it Kakashi, what's the matter with you? How could you have done that...and to Kurenai? And more importantly,_ why _did I do that? Wasn't I dreaming? I thought I was? Am I starting to develop feelings for Kurenai? I don't know, but it doesn't matter. Judging by the look I saw on her face, she_ certainly _doesn't have any feelings for me. I need to find and apologize to her for this. I just hope she doesn't kill me..._

Kakashi then threw on his Jounin vest and went searching for his kunoichi comrade.

Meanwhile, a half a mile away, Kurenai had _finally_ stopped running and sat down on an old log by a lake. As she attempted to catch her breath, a myriad of thoughts similar to her fellow silver-haired Jounin raced through her mind.

'_What the Hell has gotten into you Kurenai? Oh Kami, what have I done? How could you have done that to Kakashi? I thought I was just having a dream. I can't believe this happened. Am I starting to develop feelings for that one-eyed pervert? I... think I might be, but judging by the look I saw on his face, I doubt he has any feelings for me... But still the feeling of his arms around me and that kiss . . . . . . . mmmmmm' _

It was then the scent of Kurenai's arousal wafted up to her nose and caused the Jounin kunoichi to blush furiously before saying to herself.

"Oh Kami, I need to cool off right _now_!"

Quickly stripping off her wrappings and clothes, Kurenai plunged into the cool refreshing waters of the lake. Taking a deep breath, Kurenai dove deep under the water to try and lower her body temperature as well as wash away the smell of her excitement. And as luck would have it, few seconds later, Kakashi emerged from the forest by the lake and looked around.

"I don't understand, her trail led to here, but I don't see Kurenai anywhere..." Kakashi said to himself, as he made his way to the edge of the lake.

It was then, at that very moment Kurenai came bursting forth out of the water, her long dark brown hair hanging down in front of her face, as she walked towards the shore. A quick flip of her head sent the locks obscuring her face cascading behind her in a spray of water before she stopped walking and suddenly found herself standing face to face in front of a very _stunned_ Kakashi only a few feet away.

Kurenai was standing before Kakashi in the water and he gazed at her angelic face with her deep crimson colored eyes providing a stark contrast to her alabaster white cream like skin. Kurenai's long dark brunette hair, which was still wet, framed her gorgeous face like a dark silk curtain. The sensual curve and beauty of her neck and chest and her full breasts that were firm and thrust out proudly before him with her profound dark nipples and areoles still dripping with water nearly took Kakashi's breath away. The silver-haired Jounin also took note of Kurenai's slender arms and of her lean flat stomach before his eyes fell upon her slim feminine hips and then to the patch of dark hair between her thighs encased within her long supple legs. Never in Kakashi's life had he beheld the sight of a more beautiful goddess before him than he did at that moment, before his eyes rolled to the back of his head and...

He fainted.

Forgetting her embarrassment, Kurenai rushed out of the water when she saw Kakashi fall to check on his condition. After a quick check and thanks to her time she had spent with Hinata, Kurenai recognized that Kakashi had only fainted and was not seriously hurt. Leaning her Jounin partner up against the log, Kurenai began to get dressed while thinking to herself.

_'I can't believe he saw me naked, I'm so embarrassed. When he wakes up I may kill him for peeking on me. But still, the fact that he fainted upon seeing me like that, I don't know why, but I find that kind of . . . . . sweet.'_

* * *

As Naruto watched Kenpachi put the Crimson Blade bandits through their morning training regiment, he bore a look of concern on his face. Shunsui seemed sensed this and made his way over to Naruto before asking.

"What is it that troubles you?"

"Is it that obvious?" He sighed.

"To me it is."

Realizing there was really no point in keeping quiet anymore, he decided to voice his concerns.

"I'm troubled, because I've come to a realization. Tell me, what is your assessment of the men after training?"

"Truthfully, they do have potential, but their combat skills are _sorely_ lacking. If they were to encounter an enemy with any combat experience or training, they would most assuredly lose."

Naruto could not help but shake his head as he listened on.

"They can become efficient fighting force in time with the proper guidance, but right now if we were to send them against the Akatsuki, they would prove nothing more than being a minor nuisance to them before they were killed."

"I agree with you, and that's what troubles me. I fear we won't have the time to properly train all of these men before we are forced to face the Akatsuki in the Spring Country. They know I'm coming, so they will wait a little bit longer, but they won't wait forever. And I _know_ we won't have the time to train the men to combat them and right now just about everyone I see out there we will just be leading them to their deaths."

At this point, his words had taken on a bitter tone, as he thought with regret to himself.

'_They may be bandits and only in this fight for the money, but I'd still like to give them a fighting chance of survival from this battle.'_

"I think I might have a solution to this." Shunsui interrupted.

Naruto arched an eyebrow and said

"If you do, please tell me, I'm all ears."

"Yor-Yoruichi." Shunsui hesitantly replied, knowing this was a sensitive topic.

"Oh Kami how can that woman help this problem?" Naruto groaned in apprehension.

"Well, Yoruichi knows of a place, a separate realm actually, where time flows at a different rate than what we experience in this realm. She once trained a student there by the name of Ichigo where he achieved a remarkable increase in power and skill in only three days. Yoruichi, Kenpachi, and I could take the men into this other realm and train them to the point where they can be an effective fighting force to use against the Akatsuki and not just lambs led to the slaughter."

"How long would you need in this other realm to accomplish this?"

"Two weeks."

"Two weeks huh," Naruto muttered to himself before he asked.

"And what is the equivalent time difference between that realm and our own?"

"Two weeks of training in that realm would be equal to about six months of hard training in this realm." Shunsui replied stoically.

Naruto was surprised upon hearing answer, but couldn't deny that this was indeed the solution to the time verses training dilemma, as he thought.

_'Good, and during that time and pretty damn soon, I need to achieve bankai. There's no way I can win as I am now.'_

"Talk to Yoruichi and make whatever preparations you need to Shunsui to do this. But _first,_ we'll talk to Kenpachi about the logistics of doing this. I don't want to take all the men and leave the encampment unprotected and vulnerable to attack while they are gone."

"As you wish." Shunsui politely bowed before setting off to find the Neko woman.

As Naruto watched Shunsui flash-step away he mused once more about the upcoming fight against the Akatsuki and of Shunsui's suggestion to help get his small army ready for that battle and thought with renewed hope and confidence.

'_Maybe we will have a chance of winning this fight after all.'_

* * *

Sakura was growing frustrated with each passing minute while she sat in the palatial home of Tazuna and his daughter Tsunami and grandson Inari. She desperately wanted to resume her search for Naruto, but right now she was stuck and she knew it. Sakura and Kiba had arrived in the Wave Country a couple of days ago to follow up on a lead about Hinata. Unfortunately their journey had proved costly to Akamaru. The previous night before their arrival, a rather poisonous snake had slithered into their camp. However, before it could harm either Kiba or Sakura, Akamaru had attacked and killed the serpent, but not before the canine received a venomous strike himself. Sakura using some of the medical knowledge she had learned from Tsunade over the years had managed to save the dog's life. But by no means was he healed and wouldn't recover completely without the aid of veterinary assistance.

So besides Akamaru still requiring additional medical aid, Sakura and Kiba had also discovered their dreadful lack of money to restock their supplies and continue on in their journey to find both Hinata and Naruto. Kiba had wired his mother Tsume for help with Akamaru and some money, but until it arrived both he and Sakura were stuck with no food or shelter. Fortunately for them, Tazuna had been kind enough to shelter and feed them these last three days out of gratitude for Sakura and the rest of Team #7 help in defeating Gato the crime lord and freeing their village from his tyranny several years ago.

"Would you like some tea Sakura-chan?" Tsunami asked, as she entered the living room carrying a tray with a kettle and cups on it.

"Yes please, thank you Tsunami-san."

As Tsunami poured the tea, she eyed the pink-haired girl sitting in her living room with curiosity. Naruto had been tight-lipped when he had visited them not that long ago. Only her father seemed to know the reason as to why Naruto had shown up. But he refused to tell either her or Inari that reason and even went as far as to order not only her and Inari swear not to divulge to anyone from Konoha that the blonde Jounin had visited them recently, but the entire village as well. Tsunami thought maybe she could get some answers from Sakura, but she knew she needed to be subtle about it.

"So, it's been so long since I've seen you last. What's been going on in your life?"

Sakura really didn't like or want to talk about herself, but knew Tsunami was a good person and it would be impolite not to reply.

"There's not much to say Tsunami-san. I've just been living the life of being a shinobi. I suppose the highlight of my career was when I became an apprentice to the legendary Sannin and current Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, Senju Tsunade."

"Tsunade-sama of Konoha, my, my, that is very impressive!" Tsunami exclaimed before asking.

"But what else has been happening in your life?"

"Well, I got engaged." Sakura absently replied, before wishing she could take back what she had just said.

"Engaged, that's wonderful Sakura! I always knew you and Naruto would get together. I remember how much he doted on you when I first met you two. To be honest, I thought you and Naruto made the cutest couple even back then."

Sakura's face became crestfallen upon hearing Tsunami's comment before she spoke up and stammered.

"N, no it wasn't Naruto-kun I got engaged to. Naruto-kun and I were together for a long time, but I broke up with him to be with Sasuke-kun."

"Oh, the Uchiha, I'll admit I never really liked him as much as Naruto, but still congratulations. I'm sure you and he will be very happy together."

"No, we won't. We both ended our engagement awhile ago." Sakura replied with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"I'm so sorry; I didn't mean to bring up any bad memories for you."

"No, no, it's alright, it was a mutual breakup on both our parts, but it still hurts right now to talk about it."

"I understand if you don't want to talk about it. Let's change the subject, how is Naruto-kun doing these days?"

Tsunami saw Sakura wince slightly, as she was about to answer when Inari opened the front door and entered the house, but both women could hear the sounds of shouting coming from outside before the boy closed the door behind him and walked into the living room where his mother asked.

"What's going on Inari? Who is doing all that shouting outside?"

"Kiba-san is arguing with this pretty young lady who arrived with three dogs. She said she was his sister Hana. Anyway, Hana gave Kiba-san a piece of paper to read and when he did he starting yelling at her. Something about how their mother can't do this to him and why should he leave Naruto-sama alone?"

Sakura immediately leapt up and pressed her ear to the front door to hear what was being said.

"I don't care what okaasan has to say Hana! I'm not going back to Konoha without my wife!"

"She isn't your wife anymore, don't you get that? Okaasan and Hiashi-san have dissolved the marriage between you and Hinata."

"But, but they can't do that!"

"They can and they did, as of right now both you and Hinata are divorced. I'm sorry Kiba-kun, I know it must hurt, but what's done is done." Hana replied, as she knelt down to check on Akamaru's condition.

Kiba stood seething in rage while he watched his older sister check on his canine partner, before he growled out in a menacing tone.

"Grrrrrrrrr, I don't give a damn what okaasan and Hiashi have done! The two of them can go to Hell! I'm bringing my wife home and there is nothing they can do about it! I didn't agree to this divorce and neither did Hinata!"

Hana looked up with shock at what Kiba had just said, before standing back up and stating harshly.

"What, you don't think Hinata will agree? Let me tell you something little brother, she'll agree to the divorce the second she hears about it!"

"Why's that, because of Naruto?" Kiba spat with disgust.

"No, not because of your friend."

"He's not my friend!"

"Yes he is, whether you want to acknowledge it or not. He had nothing to do with the problems in your marriage with Hinata and you know it!"

"Well, if he's not the problem to my marriage, then what is?"

"You Kiba!"

"You don't know what the Hell you are talking about you bitch!"

The Inuzuka female took a step forward and was standing practically nose-to-nose with Kiba, as she growled with intimidation.

"Grrrrrrrrrr, if you ever speak to me like that again I'll put you down, because that is exactly what I'm talking about Kiba! Your attitude and they way you treated Hinata during your marriage was shameful to the clan. You treated Hinata like a possession or a trophy more than as a wife. It was like you thought her only purpose in life was to serve your needs no matter what they were. To be honest, the way you spoke and acted towards Hinata infuriated many members of the clan. Oh and let's not forget your ultimate betrayal of your marriage which is the shame and humiliation you've put Hinata through these past three years of your endless infidelity you've committed with numerous Leaf village women."

"Hinata knows about that!" Kiba exclaimed, with a worried look upon her face.

"The whole clan knows about, as well as the results of some of those liaisons. Do I know for certain that Hinata knows, no I do not? However she is neither stupid nor a fool and never was. So chances are little brother that yes, she knows all about your escapades."

'_Maybe if the little Hyuga bitch would have put out more I wouldn't have had to go looking for it somewhere else!' _Kiba thought bitterly to himself, before his sister's voice rang out once more.

You should thank Kami you were never physically abusive towards Hinata, because if you had okaasan and I would have beat the crap out of you. And if we didn't, I know several other clan members who would have. Hinata is a good woman Kiba and was quite popular within the clan, as they could see what you apparently couldn't. That she was a kind, gentle, and decent person worthy of the respect you never gave her during your marriage. Well, that marriage is now over little brother, deal with it. But if you do truly care about Hinata as you say, then at least do the decent and honorable act of letting her go. You owe her that much."

Kiba stood silently and glared at his older sister before stepping back and stating without hesitation and in defiance.

"No, I won't give her up, she's mine and mine alone, and I won't lose her to Naruto!"

"Haven't you heard a word I've said? Naruto has nothing to do with this!" Hana shouted back in frustration.

"I don't care what you or anyone has to say or think! Naruto is the cause of all of this and I'm getting Hinata back! As soon as Akamaru is recovered we're going to find her and that's all there is to it!"

"I'm done arguing with you about this. You want to go chasing after your _EX_-wife I won't stop you, but Akamaru's not going with you. The venom from that snakebite was quite toxic and he still needs some antivenin and at least two weeks time to recover from it. I'll be taking him back to Konoha to get him the treatment he needs."

"What, but I need Akamaru to help me track down Hinata!"

I'm sorry little brother, but if Akamaru were to try and accompany you, he would be dead in a week."

"A week is all I need; I won't let you take him!"

A snap of Hana's fingers and her three Wolf Huskies positioned themselves between Kiba and Akamaru. Kiba looked over and glared at his sister, as he heard her say:

"It's not up for debate. Akamaru will be coming back with me to the village to heal. The mere fact that you are willing to risk his life in your obsession to get Hinata back sickens me. If you want to go after her, fine! But I'll be damned if I let you kill Akamaru in the process of doing so!"

With that said, Hana made some hand seals and created a Shadow Clone, and the two of them loaded Akamaru into a horse drawn wagon. As Hana was about to leave, she shouted out towards the house.

"By the way, thank you Sakura for the medical assistance you gave to Akamaru. If you hadn't, I wouldn't have had the time to save him now. Our clan owes you a debt, which I will now repay. I won't tell Hokage that I found you. But you should consider returning with me to Konoha, as Lady Tsunade is quite cross with you at the moment."

Sakura opened the front door and took a hesitant step out onto the porch before bowing to the Inuzuka female and replied.

"You're welcome about Akamaru Hana-san. And thank you for not saying anything to Lady Tsunade. But I must decline your invitation to return with you. I must, no need to find Naruto-kun as soon as I can. I hope you can understand that?"

"I can and I do Sakura-san. You and Kiba-kun take care of yourselves and please come home soon. You both have people back in the village who care and miss you." Hana commented with a wave of the hand, as the wagon lurched forward and began its trek back to Konoha.

* * *

Tsunade stood out on the balcony to her office and watched the villagers prepare for the Kyuubi festival to be held in a couple of days on October Tenth. Her anger about this festival had been steadily rising all week, as she had heard nothing but the gleeful comments from people about how happy they were now that the demon was gone. Sure the villagers had praised Naruto as a hero when he had brought back the Uchiha traitor. But slowly over the last five years, the same prejudices and hatred Naruto had endured the majority of his life had been slowly creeping back into the minds and hearts of the people. This infuriated Tsunade to no end and she silently wondered how the villagers would feel if they knew the true heritage of the individual they were so joyful to be without?

'_I'll know the answer to that question in a couple of days. And I can't wait to see the looks on all of these bastards faces when they hear who Naruto really is.' _Tsunade thought to herself, before a knock on her door interrupted her thoughts.

"Enter!"

Tsunade looked on as Shizune opened the door to escort in Councilman Danzo and the two Council advisors to the position of Hokage elders Koharu and Homura. Gesturing for them to take a seat, Tsunade ordered Shizune to bring in some tea for her and her guests. While they waited for Shizune to return, Danzo groused with annoyance to Tsunade.

"I didn't come here Tsunade to drink tea and exchange pleasantries Tsunade. You said you had a matter of vital importance to discuss with us, what is it?"

"Well first off _Danzo _you will address me as Hokage-sama or Lady Tsunade now and in the future. For if you don't, you will no longer need a cane as a wheelchair will be your permanent form of transportation. Do I make myself clear?" Tsunade answered with a hint of malevolence ringing in her voice.

"Yes Hokage-sama, I understand." Danzo replied through clenched teeth.

It was then that Shizune returned carrying a tray with a kettle and cups on it. As all the occupants in the room watched Shizune pour cups of tea out for everyone before distributing them, Danzo eyed the blonde Hokage cautiously. Danzo had learned a long time ago never to be the first one to drink or eat from something his people had not prepared. Seeing Tsunade as well as Koharu and Homura drink without any ill effects, the old war-hawk Councilman surmised that everything was fine and took a sip of tea himself before asking.

"Why is it that you have called the three of us here Hokage-sama?"

"Yes, let us discuss that right now. Shizune if you would excuse us please and before you go activate the silencing seals around my office. The matter we are going to discuss is not for everyone's ears."

"As you wish Lady Tsunade." Shizune replied, before making a series of hand signs to activate the seals and locking the door as she left behind her.

"Now the matter I wish to discuss is with regards to Naruto Uzumaki." Tsunade stated before taking another sip of tea.

"Yes, I'm glad you brought this up. We also wish to discuss with you Hokage-sama the matter of the Jinchuuriki. I as well as Koharu and Homura feel we made an error is supporting the recommendation that the boy become the next Hokage after you. We like the people of the village were merely caught up in the euphoria of the return of Sasuke Uchiha when that recommendation was first proposed. In light of the Uzumaki's recent status in becoming a missing nin, we are going to file a proposal in the Council two days from now to have the boy upgraded and listed as an S-Class Missing Nin in the Bingo book with a kill on sight order. We are also going to make another proposal that Sasuke Uchiha be named your new successor to become Hokage. We know of your personal feelings with regards to the boy. But I must inform you between the three of us and the Civilian side of the Council, we have the votes to push these measures through." Danzo stated all of this with a smirk, as he took another sip of his tea.

"I see then this meeting was quite fortuitous." Tsunade countered.

"For you see I called the three of you in here because I too am planning on introducing some proposals to the Konoha Council to vote on in a couple of days as well. I chose this date to coincide with the anniversary of the Yondaime's sacrifice, as I'm sure you did as well Danzo-san."

"But of course Hokage-sama." Danzo snidely replied while finishing off his tea.

"Well let me tell you the proposals I plan on introducing. First off, I'm downgrading Naruto to B-Class Missing Nin status with a mere capture order for him. Secondly, I also plan to honor Minato by revealing to the village at the start of the Kyuubi festival Naruto's true heritage of being his son. I must also tell you that Naruto will not be replaced as my chosen successor by the Uchiha brat either. And Koharu and Homura, when I make these proposals, I expect your full support on all of them."

"Ha, ha, ha, you can expect their support all you want Hokage-sama, but you're not going to get it or mine. And I can assure you that your proposals have no hope of passing, not if I have anything to say about it!" Danzo declared with mocking laughter.

"You won't have anything to say about it."

"Why is that Hokage-sama?"

An almost evil glint shone in the blonde Hokage's eyes.

"Because in about a minute you will be . . . . . . dead."

"What are you talking about Tsuna . . . . . argh?" Danzo began to ask before clutching his chest in pain, and gasping for breath.

"Wha, what's happening?"

"Oh, you're having a heart attack Danzo." Tsunade calmly answered, while taking another sip of tea and watching the Councilman keel over to the floor in agony.

"But, but how? I know the tea wasn't poisoned. I, I saw you drink first." Danzo asked through clenched teeth.

"Your right, the tea _wasn't_ poisoned; it merely acted as a catalyst for the poison." The blonde Kage replied smoothly.

"You see I'm not known as the Queen of Elixirs for nothing. Several years ago I was able to develop a clear, odorless, and tasteless poisonous paste that simulates death by cardiac arrest perfectly. So it was a simple matter for me to lightly coat the bottom of your tea cup with the paste and then wait for the tea to metabolize it and carry into your system. If you notice on your tea cup Danzo, it only has four stars painted on it, as opposed to everyone else's which has five. I mean we wouldn't want to have the wrong person having the heart attack now would we?"

"You, you bitch Tsunade! You'll never get away with this!" Danzo spat out in agonizing rage.

Tsunade stood up and casually walked over to Danzo, then looking down at the old war-hawk Councilman writhing on the floor and stated with a smirk and a smile.

"My dear Danzo, I already have."

A scant second later, Danzo stopped moving and his eyes stared lifelessly up towards the ceiling.

Just then Shizune entered the room and announced.

"Lady Tsunade, something terrible has happened, as Councilman Danzo was leaving the building he appears to have had a heart attack. Several of our Anbu witnessed him collapse and tried to revive the man, but I'm afraid they were not successful. I'm sorry Lady Tsunade, but Councilman Danzo is dead."

"That is most unfortunate news. Konoha has suffered a tragic loss today of one of our most prominent political leaders. I must discuss this tragedy with my advisors Koharu and Homura and how it will affect Konoha in the future. Please leave us Shizune and take the tea with you as you go. Oh and send someone in here to empty my trash would you."

"As you wish Lady Tsunade." Shizune politely replied before signaling behind her and an Anbu operative appeared and entered the office before picking up and carrying Danzo's body away in front of the stunned and frightened Hokage advisors. As Shizune closed the door behind her, Tsunade returned to her seat. Just as the blonde Hokage was about to speak, she was interrupted by Koharu stammering.

"Now see here Hokage-sama, how dare you . . . . .."

"Shut up you senile old bitch or there might be another tragic loss of a prominent political leader today! Believe me, I was truly tempted to get rid of all three of you corrupt and decrepit old fossils on this day. Fortunately enough for you two, I decided otherwise. I know the two of you have gotten rich over the years off of Danzo's bribes, but the payday's for your support of his measures in the Council ends now! From now on, you are going to agree with and support any and all proposals I make within the Council from now on. You will also use whatever influence you have with those idiot minions on the Civilian side of the Council to support my measures. Your payment for all of this will be the continuation of your health to still live quite comfortably off the money you have received from Danzo all these years. Failure by you to do any of what I just said, and I can most assuredly promise you that this will be the last Kyuubi Festival either of you will ever see again. Do we understand one another?"

Koharu and Homura turned and looked at one another, before turning back to see the resilient and determined look on their Hokage's face. Seeing Tsunade's hardened gaze directed towards them, both advisors bowed their heads and meekly replied in unison.

"Yes Hokage-sama."

"Good, because I'm telling you two right now, the Konoha Council is going to become once more a decent, noble, and self sacrificing body of leadership for this village like it was in the days of the Nidaime. And I will remove _any _obstacles in my way from achieving that goal." She waved a hand dismissively. "Now, the two of you may go, but never forget what I have said to you on this day."

"Yes Hokage-sama."

As Tsunade watched her two _advisors _leave her office. She pulled a bottle of sake out of her desk drawer and poured herself a drink, before lifting the cup in the air and declaring.

"I promise you Naruto-kun, if you do ever return to the village and take my place as the Rokudaime. You will not be plagued with the corrupt and deceitful administrations that Sensei, your father, or I were. This village will become the utopia my grandfather the Shodai always dreamt it could. And I can think of no one better than you to lead this place into that golden era."

Tsunade then slammed the drink down her throat and looked out towards the setting sun with a sigh.

* * *

Sasuke jumped swiftly from tree to tree followed closely behind by his traveling partner Ino heading in the direction where they had felt that chakra explosion a few days ago. However, the Uchiha was troubled at the prospect of actually finding Naruto and of what he was suppose to do. The two week grace period Lady Tsunade had granted him to find and return his friend had expired long ago. Now if he were to follow his orders, if he couldn't convince Naruto to return to the village, then as an A-Ranked Missing Nin, Sasuke would be forced to eliminate him. This prospect did not sit well with Sasuke at all.

A snapping branch behind Sasuke roused him from his thoughts, as he took a quick glance behind him to see Ino doing her best to keep up with him. The sight of the blonde kunoichi brought forth a new set of thoughts for Sasuke to ponder. Sasuke knew this partnership with Ino was only temporary and the moment they did find Naruto it would most likely end. The Yamanaka heiress had already shown that her motives for finding Naruto were vastly different from his own. So when they did find Naruto and he was forced fight him if the dobe wouldn't return. Sasuke realized he would probably be fighting Ino as well, along with Hinata if she had already found Naruto first.

Sasuke could already feel the onset of a headache, as he pondered that uncomfortable scenario. It would be bad enough trying to fight Naruto on his own. Let alone having to fight two highly skilled kunoichi's along with him. This mission had grown much more complicated than Sasuke had originally thought it would be. The Uchiha youth had no desire to fight anyone and could only hope that Naruto would listen to reason and come back to the village with him. However, if Naruto refused and forced Sasuke's hand, he was confident that he could defeat Naruto and the others if he had to because of the ace up his sleeve. That ace being the Zanpaktou Zabimaru he had obtained from Lord Byakuya Kuchiki of the Kuchiki clan. Naruto and the others would not stand a chance against the power of such a weapon.

However, while Sasuke was certain if Ino and Hinata were to go down from the blade, they would stay down. Unfortunately, Sasuke wasn't as certain about Naruto staying down as his friends stubbornness could prove insurmountable at times. And if Naruto refused to stay down, then this brought Sasuke back to the question that had been mercilessly plaguing his mind since the two weeks ran out that Lady Tsunade had given him to find and return Naruto.

_**Could he actually kill his only friend?**_

* * *

**Authors Notes: **Here is chapter 23 for everyone to enjoy, I hope? Although there were no major changes from the original chapter, which I had written exclusively. There were a few subtle ones throughout the chapter that required a bit of rewriting. As well as Sasuke's angst-ridden scene at the end, which is brand new. Also before anyone screams plagiarism, as a few readers did for my story Naruto vs. Sasuke: The Aftermath. Yes, I did reuse two very similar scenes in Danzo's death in both stories. However, I had written the scene first in this story at least two-three years ago. This will probably be the last update for this story for a little while, as I need to turn my attention back to my main story" Naruto vs. Sasuke: The Aftermath." I was discouraged in the amount of reviews the last chapter received, as it was the lowest total I have ever gotten on this tale. Am I doing something wrong? However, I still want to thank everyone who did take the time to leave a review on it or this story. They really do help an author out in knowing what people like about it, as well as motivate them.

Thanks for your support of this story and take it easy!

_**Kingkakashi **_


	24. The Clash of Bankai's

**Do I Have A Purpose Anymore?**

**Chapter 24: "The Clash of Bankai's"**

* * *

"Talk to Yoruichi and make whatever preparations you need to Shunsui to do this. But _first,_ we'll talk to Kenpachi about the logistics of doing this. I don't want to take all the men and leave the encampment unprotected and vulnerable to attack while they are gone."

"As you wish." Shunsui politely bowed before setting off to find the Neko woman.

As Naruto watched Shunsui flash-step away he mused once more about the upcoming fight against the Akatsuki and of Shunsui's suggestion to help get his small army ready for that battle and thought with renewed hope and confidence.

'_Maybe we will have a chance of winning this fight after all.'_

Naruto mused about the previous day's conversation he had with Shunsui, before he pulled out the scroll given to him by Yamamoto. Now was as good a time as any to look at it. It was old and worn, but still held together somehow, as he opened it. Naruto's jaw went slack, then a small smirk spread across his face as a glimmer, just a tiny flicker of hope could now be seen, for the contents of this scroll and the information contained within, had given him an idea.

Within the scroll, were the details on how to achieve the final stage of Bankai. The second release, fabled to grant the wielder, should he survive, a power increase by a factor of ten or more. That small sly grin spread across Naruto's face, as he closed the scroll and set off purposely into the camp.

Naruto walked to the furthermost tent across the clearing in which the bandits had set up camp. Upon reaching it, he listened closely for any sort of sound and even announced his presence, just to make sure its occupant knew he was entering.

But upon entering, his face blanked.

'_Oh for the love of Kami!'_

There before him, her back turned, was none other than Yugito, still unaware of his arrival somehow, even though he'd been quite loud about his entry. However, that matter slipped his mind, for at the moment, she had let her long, silken gold hair out of the braided ponytail she often kept it in. With her headband lying there on the sleeping bag beside her, the long locks of her hair were free to fall down to her bare back, her soft brown eyes half open, and a small half smile on her face...

In that moment of vulnerability, she looked absolutely _radiant_. Just like that night when they'd walked together, yet on a deeper level. She'd still had some semblance of wariness up at that point, but right here right now, she was completely, totally...topless!

"Yugito." He called her name, but she didn't hear him, and instead, sat down on the nearby cot, to rummage through some of her personal belongings, which consisted of a small knapsack. That is, the few items she had on her when they'd met...

The first significant item she pulled out was small tattered photograph, one of a younger version herself with another young man. The boy had light brown hair, dark blue eyes, and a surprised expression plastered all over his face. At the time of the photo, Yugito had apparently leaned up on her tiptoes, and given him a kiss on the cheek.

"Who's that?" He found himself asking, even though he really knew it wasn't any of his didn't answer, instead she continued to look at the photo, and a small sigh escaped her lips. Sighing, he dared to walk up behind her and tap her on the shoulder, knowing the repercussions of such an action might result in a shallow wound at the very least.

Needless to say, her reaction was quite predictable.

"!" Immediately Yugito went rigid, sprang to her feet and reached for the kunai holster at her hip, a kunai already drawn and twirling in her fingers. Naruto would have none of that however, and pinned her the only way he could at short notice and grabbed her in an embrace.

"Yugito!" He growled in her ear and now, she seemed to hear him.

"What the Hell are you trying to do?"

"Naruto?" she twisted her head around to see him, then turned beet red less than a second later, as she realized just who it was.

"Hey! W-What're you doing in here, huh? I didn't hear you come in!"

"Then perhaps you should drop the kunai?"

Startled, she shook herself free, and reached to her ears. With a slight popping sound, the blonde pulled out a wad of cotton from each ear, the apparent reason for her deafness.

"Damn earplugs. This is what I get for trying to take a catnap...

It was then that she realized she was _still_ topless, and with a small squeak of surprise, the Nibi vessel grabbed the first thing she could, her tattered flannel jacket...

Allowing the twin glorious mounds of ripe flesh to bounce slightly as they were released from the confines of her arms, which only made her even more embarrassed.

"Erm...damnit, sorry! I didn't hear you come in!"

Realizing he was starting to stare, Naruto at last turned away.

"Yugito, I need your help with something."

She'd barely processed the words before he spoke again.

"I need you to train with me."

"Huh?" Hastily she donned the shirt, trying to hide the burning pink blush.

"W-Wha?" Why was he asking this of her all of a sudden? Not that she wasn't eager to take up his request, it was just...this was so damn unexpected!

"I'm serious." He glanced down at Zangetsu, the prone steel strapped to his back in cloth, as he continued on.

"I need to achieve the 2nd level of Bankai and with Kenpachi and the others off training; you're the only one strong enough I can turn to."

Now he gazed at her with those matchless sapphire orbs.

"Please, you're the only one I can rely on for this."

A faint blush lit Yugito's cheeks.

"Well...

* * *

A few days later, Naruto was returning to camp after an intense sparring session that morning with Yugito to help him unlock the final release or Bankai of his zanpaktou. Naruto was about to sit down with Hinata for a pleasant lunch, when he suddenly jerked his head around and stared intently into the forest a few miles away. Growling with annoyance, he began to unravel Zangetsu out of its cloth sheath.

"What is it Naruto-kun?"

"Some uninvited and unwanted guests from our former homeland have arrived Hinata-chan."

Hinata grew nervous upon hearing this, as she feared it might be Anbu Hunter nins come to take her and Naruto back to Konoha. The blonde Jinchuuriki noticed the look of concern spread across the Hyuga woman's face and said with assurance.

"Don't worry my hime, if they are Anbu I'll deal with them. I promise you, no one is going to force us to return to Konoha, I swear!"

Sasuke and Ino were slightly nervous as they remained hidden in the tree tops. It had taken them a few days to finally pinpoint the location of Naruto's encampment. Now they were trying to decide how best to approach Naruto when the decision was made for them, as the subject of their discussion suddenly appeared in a field 100ft in front of them and yelled out.

"Either you show yourselves or leave immediately and never return your choice!"

Both Sasuke and Ino were surprised that Naruto had sensed them from such a great distance as they had been holding down their chakra levels to avoid detection. Ino nodded to Sasuke who had agreed to let the Yamanaka girl talk to Naruto first before he took any action. The Uchiha watched intently as Ino leapt from tree and landed in front of his old teammate.

"Anbu!" Naruto spat with disgust, as he eyed the masked ninja suspiciously while she slowly approached while taking off her mask. A cold visage swept over Naruto's face when it was revealed who the Anbu was and he snarled.

"What do _you_ want Ino-_san_?"

Ino winced and tears slightly welled in her eyes at the icy glare and curt tone of Naruto's voice when he addressed her, as she thought to herself.

'_I'm not even Ino anymore; I'm Ino-san, as if he doesn't even know me_.'

"H, hi Naruto-ku…..Naruto, I'm here to talk to you and see if you would come back to the village with me?"Instantly she realized her mistake, his frown setting itself into a firm line.

"Well I don't want to talk to _you_ and I'm not returning to Konoha. So you might as well take your friend and go!"

"Please Naruto just listen to me! There are many people back in the Leaf village who miss very much and want you to return. Tsunade-sama, Shizune-chan, and Iruka-Sensei a lot of people love you very much and want you in their lives again. I, I love you and miss you Naruto-kun."

Naruto glared fiercely at the blonde kunoichi when she said that and he spat with resentment.

"I've heard that lie from you before Yamanaka, remember?"

**(Flashback: 2 1/2 years ago)**

A bouquet of red roses was suddenly shoved into his arms, and he did a double take, as he saw the three words attached to the card.

"You're, you're kidding me." Naruto stammered in a hesitant tone of voice.

"N-no Naruto-kun I'm not, I, I love you."

Naruto's face took on an ashen appearance, as he tried to come to grips with what Ino had just declared. After a few minutes of muted silence, Ino couldn't take it anymore and pleadingly she spoke.

"Please say something Naruto-kun."

Naruto looked over to the beautiful blonde kunoichi and hesitantly stammered.

"I, I don't know what to say Ino. I've had two other people say that to me and both times I got my heart crushed in return. You've been a good friend to me since, since….._the wedding_."

He shook his head to clear himself of the memory.

"I-I don't think I could have survived these past few months without you. I admit I've grown close to you Ino, quite fond of you actually."

Noticing how close he had gotten, he took a step back.

"But I don't want to jeopardize our friendship, by seeking something more, no matter how much I might want to."

Tears welled in Ino's eyes.

"But why Naruto-kun?"

Her lower lip trembled now, as she continued on.

"I want us to be more than friends and it sounds like you would like that too?"

"Be-because Ino, I'm afraid if I allow myself to love you and something was to happen to us?"

He shook his head rapidly, as if to drive away a negative thought before he answered.

"I don't think I can take that kind of pain anymore Ino."

"Please, I know you're scared of loving someone because of what's happened to you in the past, I understand that."

Naruto backed up as Ino stepped forward.

"But please give me a chance to show you that I can be the one you can love and that I can love you back, like I already do."

Naruto looked deep into Ino's eyes before softly asking.

"Do you mean it Ino-chan, do you really love me?"

"I meant every word Naruto-kun, and I promise I'll never hurt you." She whispered before closing the gap and claiming him with her long awaited lips.

**(End of Flashback)**

"Of course I soon learned what your words and promises actually meant!" Naruto spat at the blonde Anbu standing in front of him in that field.

**(Flashback: 2 years ago)**

Ino's heart was pounding in her chest, as she approached a lake of dark blue water with shimmers of moonlight reflecting off it. She nervously waited for her boyfriend of the past six months to arrive to the lake they both dearly loved. It had become a special spot for the blonde-haired couple, as Ino remembered many of the walks along its shore she and Naruto had taken in the past. A tear slid down Ino's cheek and she hated what she was about to do. But the Yamanaka heiress had made her choice and could only hope that Naruto would forgive her.

As if on cue, a blonde teen came strolling out from the shadows of the trees that surrounded the lake and approached the young woman.

"Hey Ino-chan" Naruto cheerfully greeted his girlfriend, his hands behind his back and he approached the blond kunoichi.

"Hey, Naruto-Kun" Ino said, her heart now pounding even faster at the sight of him.

"This is for you." Naruto said, as he handed a red rose to the girl.

"Thank you Naruto, it's beautiful."

Ino gazed at sight of the flower and tears began welling in her eyes, as she took it slowly from his hands not wanting to damage it when she heard Naruto state:

"Not as beautiful as you."

Ino stared into his magnificent cerulean eyes before her breath hitched in her throat, as Naruto bent down before her on one knee.

"Ino-chan." Naruto softly said.

"Y, yes." she nervously answered, fearful of what was about to happen.

"Would you, would you do me the honor of being your husband?" Naruto lovingly asked while gazing deeply into her blue eyes, as he pulled from behind his back and opened a small velvet box containing an engagement ring.

The proposal hit the blonde female like a ton of bricks.

"Uhh, Nar, Naru" Ino stuttered before her eyes quickly overflowed with tears which began streaming down her face.

Naruto rose up and took her hand into his and affirmed with certainty.

"I love you Ino-chan! I'm sorry I wasn't able to say those words to you six months ago when you uttered them to me. I was too scared and wrapped up in the pain of what had happened with Hinata. But you asked me to give you a chance and I'm so glad I did. Being with you has saved me from the pain and despair I thought would never go away. I know this seems sudden, but you were right Ino-chan, you are the one that I can love. And I do love you, Ino-chan with all my heart and soul."

Naruto then leaned over and gently placed his soft lips against hers.

This was difficult for Ino to resist; she liked how his lips felt when it touched hers, the way it lit a fire in her soul. But she couldn't do this; she couldn't, no matter how much she enjoyed it.

"Naruto." Ino coughed out in a choked voice while breaking off the kiss.

"I'm, I'm not in love with you anymore!" She cried out, tears running down her face.

Naruto stood rigid and motionless looking at her, the hurt in evident in his voice as he found the words.

"Wh, what do you mean you don't love me anymore? You, you told me you loved me! Did, did I do something Ino-chan? Please tell me what it is and I can fix it!"

"You didn't do anything. I'm, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you Naruto-kun, I still love you as a friend, but it can never be more than that.

"Why Ino-chan, please tell me why?"

"I'm in love with someone else!" Ino exclaimed, more in an attempt to convince herself rather than the now broken boy standing before her.

At that moment Shikamaru stepped out from the shadows of the trees and sheepishly walked over to stand next to the weeping kunoichi. Naruto glanced back and forth between his friend who couldn't look him in the eye and his now blonde ex-girlfriend before reaching down and placing her hand into the Nara boy's hand.

Ino was in taken aback when Naruto did this and she looked up and gasped in shock at the visage Naruto now bore upon his face. It was the same blank expression she had seen when he had opened that hospital door to Sasuke's room years before. Then when Naruto dropped the engagement ring onto the ground, the pain and guilt of what she had just done made the blonde kunoichi feel sick. Ino realized she was no better than Sakura, maybe even worse because she had done the one thing she promised Naruto she would never do.

'_I promise I'll never hurt you.'_

Ino gazed at Naruto once more and noticed a brief flicker of the pained betrayal she had just inflicted upon him flash through his eyes, before he was walking away into the night in silence. Leaving Ino to contemplate every single day for the next two years the consequences of what she had just done to him and what it meant to her own life.

**(End of Flashback)**

"You want to know something funny Yamanaka, I used to love looking at a red rose and thought it was one of the most beautiful things Kami had ever created. But since that night, I can't stand to look at one anymore. Because I realized if one gets enraptured in its beauty, they never see its thorns that will cause you pain."

Ino was standing before Naruto, her tears flowing freely down her face, before saying in a grief-stricken voice:

"I know I've hurt you in the past Naruto-kun and I know you must hate me. But I swear to you I'm not lying when I say I love you. The only lie I have ever told you was two years ago when I said I didn't. I was given a _choice_ back then and I chose wrong, and I've hated myself for it ever since. This is why I'm out here. I love you Naruto-kun and I just want bring you home and be with you if you will have me? I don't know if you would still want me, and I can't blame you if you don't. And if it's the case that you don't love me the way I love you Naruto-kun, I still want to be a part of your life no matter what. So please, please come back to the Leaf village, if not for me than for the people who still love you back there and are waiting for you to come home."

"Damn it, I'm not listening to this bullshit anymore! If there are people back in the village who love me and want me to come home, it's only because they haven't had their shot yet to tear me apart like everyone else who has professed to love me has done!" Naruto angrily replied, still hurting from the memories that surfaced upon seeing and hearing Ino again before leaping away from the weeping kunoichi.

"I can give you a good reason to return dobe, because if you don't go back, I'll have to kill you." Sasuke stated, as he suddenly appeared fifty yards in front of the blonde male holding something in his hand that shocked Naruto.

'_That's a zanpaktou? But where did he-'_

Naruto's thought was interrupted; as he watched the blade itself seemingly vibrate in the air. A moment later, the sword erupted into a blade of pure lightning, crackling with immense energy. The Uchiha then swung his zanpaktou in a sweeping arc towards Naruto and shouted out with determination.

"_**Kaen Raikou no Jutsu!"**_ (Blaze of Lightning Jutsu)

A second later, a wave arc of blue light came overflowing from the tip of the blade and ripped forward.

"Oh, that looks serious?" Naruto commented with amusement before scowling. Yanking upon the hilt, his own zanpaktou appeared in his hands and he swung Zangetsu towards his longtime rival effortlessly deflecting the electrical attack back at the Uchiha.

Sasuke eyes grew wide with astonishment at the appearance of Naruto's own zanpaktou. So much so the last Uchiha barely had time to knock his own attack away from himself before stumbling and falling to the ground in a heap. As Sasuke rose from the dirt he looked up dumbfounded to see a smug Naruto wading towards him while sarcastically asking.

"C'mon, did you think you were the only one with one of these?"

"Impressive." Sasuke replied with a small smile and added.

"I'd ask where you got it, but I recognize your blade now."

"Brings back memories doesn't it?" Naruto grinned, shouldering the massive cleaver.

"So what's the matter teme is that all you've got?"

Sasuke could only shake his head.

"That was the most powerful Raiton jutsu attack I've ever developed and you swatted it away like it was nothing." With a sigh, he waved the smoke away with his hand.

"Then again, Byakuya-Sensei told me that attack wouldn't work against another zanpaktou, but I had to try. He said only Kido based attacks and not jutsu attacks will work on another zanpaktou, so I didn't want to use this, but you've left me no choice dobe!"

"What the Hell are you talking about teme?"

"Just this," The Uchiha replied as he ran his index finger along the blades edge."…, _**Roar Zabimaru!**_**"**

Suddenly, Sasuke's zanpaktou was transformed into segmented blade with a pick-like protrusion on each segment. The Uchiha then swung his newly altered blade in an arc above his head and Naruto noticed the sword seem to elongate due to the stretchable threads giving it the pliability of a whip. Naruto couldn't help but be impressed by the incredible length Sasuke's blade achieved in its whip form and had to comment on it:

"An imposing zanpaktou teme, I don't recognize it, so unlike _you_ I'll ask where you got it?"

"This blade once belonged to Byakuya-Sensei's lieutenant Renji Abarai." Sasuke explained with a small frown, reiterating what he had already been told by the man at the very beginning of his journey.

"He perished during the Arrancar wars and Byakuya-Sensei felt I was worthy to wield it in his place."

"Well teme," Reaching up to the clasp that held his cloak in place, the jinchuuriki removed the symbol, allowing it to unfurl.

"It's going to take a lot more than a sharp-edged whip to defeat me!"

"You dobe, you have no hope in defeating me now! My zanpaktou is unbeatable, I'm serious! Just come back to the village!"

Naruto snickered quietly and then his threw his head back and laughed.

"Heh, Sorry teme, but you said your sword's unbeatable, right?" Naruto spat this with derision as he began channeling power into his blade while the ground cratered beneath him, forming a small ditch where he stood.

"Since that's obviously Shikai, Let's put that to the test, your Shikai against mine."

Naruto then pointed Zangetsu forward, as he placed one arm upon his sword, while the other held the zanpaktou straight and true before boldly shouting out:

"Here we go, Zangetsu….._**Getsuga Tenshō!**_**"**

"No way!" Sasuke exclaimed in shock, as he whipped Zabimaru towards the crescent shaped wave of spirit particles released from Naruto's blade's edge that was now streaking directly at him.

When both attacks impacted one another the resulting force of the collision blew both Naruto and Sasuke away from one another. As both former teammates skidded to a stop on the ground, Sasuke activated his Sharingan out of sheer frustration; the three tomes' forming all at once while he screamed.

"What...what the hell was that?"

Naruto answer to the Uchiha's question was an ominous deathly silence, as he swung the massive blade towards Sasuke once again.

Sasuke eyes narrowed as he realized this was no longer the same Naruto he once knew and the former hyperactive boy had now become a hardened man and was taking this fight seriously.

"_**Getsuga**_**…"** Naruto snarled as energy began to swell along his blade, **"**_**Tenshō!"**_

The blue crescent of energy arced forward from point blank range. It plowed onward, pushing the Uchiha backwards as he was forced to hold a block against the powerful attack. With a simple flick of his wrist, however, the Anbu slashed the fang of energy in half. As his vision cleared, Sasuke saw that Naruto already flying towards him in the wake of the attack; leaving him no time to use the long-range strategy he'd hoped for.

Their blades crashed against each other once more, as Naruto launched into a flurry of strikes. Sasuke dodged and parried perfectly, his movements appearing effortless in contrast with his opponent's attacks. Naruto suddenly jabbed forward with his zanpaktou, the silvery black tip of _Zangetsu _aiming directly for Sasuke's chest. The Uchiha leapt directly backwards and quickly swung Zabimaru to counter Naruto, who fell back and away.

With a growl, he lunged at Sasuke once more, who stepped back at the last second, thrust his hand forward, one finger pointed mere centimeter's from the blonde's chest and declared.

"_**Byakurai."**_ (Pale Lightning)

"Wha?" Naruto cried, but too late, as a concentrated powerful lightning bolt slammed into him with the full force of a Chidori, powering him into the ground where he lay for a moment, before staggering to his feet with nothing more than singed clothing.

"Is that all?"

"You're an idiot!" Sasuke barked at him as Zabimaru returned to sword form before he screamed with frustration.

"I'll do it; I'll have to kill you if we continue!"

Naruto shook his head slowly, as red chakra was beginning to flow out from the seal.

"Do what you have to teme but know this, I ain't going back. Not now, not...EVER!"

As Naruto spoke, his eyes narrowed and began to change color becoming a deep shade of crimson, as the irises straightened into horizontal slits. Before the red chakra streaming from him began to form a Jinchuuriki cloak which swallowed him up.

"Moron." Sasuke stared at him for a moment longer, as the shroud went up to a single tail, and then stopped.

"Are you really that insane?" Sasuke asked before he then disappeared in a flicker of leaves, with Naruto replicating the move moments later.

Sasuke had thought himself prepared for his assault, but when it came, he realized just how foolish he, with his sword still extended, had been to remain in one place for such a length of time.

He hadn't been expecting this kind of speed.

Naruto Uzumaki snapped into view, his body blocking the Uchiha's, his eyes glaring out coldly, an ominous look adorning his face. With a hiss, he swung his zanpaktou, a _Getsuga _rocketing out from the tip of his sword and swallowing his nakama within the azure energy.

The blast picked Sasuke up, launched him bodily into the air, while his mind tried to process what'd just happened. A shadow fell over him, and he had enough common sense to look up, at the sound of whirling chakra.

The Rasengan drilled into his abdomen throwing him into the ground, where he remained, pinned by a trio of Kage Bunshin. With a roar, Naruto came down, driving his fist into the Uchiha's abdomen.

Sasuke cried out in pain, and Zabimaru lashed out in reply, slitting the blonde's cheek before he propelled himself away. Sasuke pursued while the armor chest plate he wore under his Anbu uniform was in tatters now, as he marched towards the blonde Jinchuuriki.

Using shunpo (flash-step), Sasuke was able to force Naruto down, pinning him to the earth, as the terrain splintered, cracked, and broke under the Uchiha's relentless assault.

_**"Getsuga Tenshō!"**_

_Red _eyes widened, as the energy fang struck full on, removing him from the wedged earth, before roughly depositing him into another tree. He snickered in amusement as he picked himself out of the debris.

"Nice attack." The Uchiha groaned while nursing his dislocated arm and weakly grasping the hilt of his sword.

Naruto didn't reply, instead, he launched himself at Sasuke again, stamped down on his chest, and prepared to drill _Zangetsu_ home. But the effect was not as expected, for Sasuke was able to catch a direct line into his blonde opponent's eyes, as his own eyes widened, morphed, and began to spin signifying the casting of a Sharingan technique.

_**"Tsukuyomi!"**_

Naruto cried out in pain, dropping Zangetsu to claw at his head as everything became red, and in the hellish depths of his mind, his worst nightmares came back to life, ready to haunt and torment him once more. But with the pain, came rage, and this in turn annoyed the Kyuubi, who slowly began to stir, coming awake for the first time in weeks.

"_Bah, what an irritating jutsu". _With a little bit of effort on his part, the great fox demon pumped some of its chakra into the chakra pathways of his host, which in turn shook him, startling his mind out of the illusion.

"_**There. Now, just kill him already!" **_Kyuubi grumbled with annoyance.

As the spots cleared from his vision, something caught his eyes. Sasuke had somehow gotten behind him and even now, Zabimaru coursed through the air ready to split him in two.

_**"Getsuga Tenshō!"**_ Naruto yelled once more, swinging his sword just as quickly, and then bringing it back around to guard. Sasuke took the hit, and Zabimaru barreled into Naruto, the synch of their attacks bringing forth another explosion.

Thrown off balance, the two combatants staggered back, coughing from the smoke.

Sasuke thrust a hand forward, obviously preparing another Byakurai spell. Remembering how easily he'd been decked before, Naruto rushed forward with another Getsuga already prepared, determined to prevent the use that technique again. As both warriors launched themselves forward and unleashed their attacks, a scream pierced the air.

"STOP!"

The two opponents wrenched their gaze away from each other, Sasuke to his left, Naruto to his right, suddenly aware of Ino, running towards them both. If she continued running, she'd be right in the middle of the blast zone...

To their horror, both men realized they couldn't stop their attacks. They had already gone past the point of pulling them back...

And now Ino was going to pay the ultimate price.

* * *

**Authors Notes: **Here is chapter 24 for everyone to enjoy. To be honest I changed very little in this chapter from the original, as the majority of it was Naruto and Sasuke's battle. I had co-written that battle scene with Neonzangetsu and quite frankly I think it's pretty good and required no significant changes. The flashback scenes with Ino I had originally done and once again I couldn't see myself making them significantly better. Although the last little paragraph of the final flashback is new. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and my next update will probably be on my "Supreme Genetics Bloodline" story. I want to thank everyone who did take the time to leave a review on this story. They really do help an author out in knowing what people like about it, as well as motivate them.

Thanks for your support of this story and take it easy!

_**Kingkakashi **_


	25. Surprises Abound

**Do I Have A Purpose Anymore?**

**Chapter 25: " Surprises Abound"**

* * *

"Ino get out of there!"

Ino's head snapped up when she heard Naruto shout. It was then she noticed she had run directly into the middle of both Naruto and Sasuke's oncoming attacks. Hesitating she froze with fear, as she realized the attacks were about to hit her and dropping to her knees while throwing her arms over her head she screamed out in terror.

"NARUTO-KUN!"

A scant second later another shout was heard which cried out.

"Enkosen (Arc Shield) deflect!"

Ino heard an explosion and realizing she hadn't been hit, tentatively opened her eyes to peer out from under her arms. She was both relieved and surprised to see none other than Kakashi Hatake standing over her with a shield of condensed reiatsu formed on each of his arms. Looking around she saw both Naruto and Sasuke lying on the ground a great distance from where they had been at previously. The blonde kunoichi didn't know how Kakashi had done it, but apparently he had deflected both attacks back to their sources.

Namely Naruto and Sasuke.

"Well, this brings back some unpleasant memories." Kakashi stated panting from the exertion of fending off the attacks.

"Thank you for saving me Kakashi-sama."

"You're welcome Ino, but I have to say I'm more than a little displeased to see a trained Anbu operative go running out onto a battlefield like that."

Before Ino could respond Naruto had flash-stepped in front of her and gripped her shoulders from the sides. Looking down at her, he visibly trembled with rage and shouted at her.

"Ino-chan, what the hell do you think you were doing?"

"I, I didn't want you to get hurt Naruto-kun."

"So what you thought running in between two deadly attacks was the right thing to do to prevent that?"

"I, I…"

"Idiot, I don't even want to look at you right now! All of you just leave me the hell alone!" Naruto yelled out in a rage, before releasing Ino and flash-stepping once more, disappearing from the clearing.

Ino could only gaze at the ground and weep to herself before a voice she recognized cry out to her.

"Ino-chan!"

Looking up the blonde kunoichi could see an indigo-haired girl running towards her with lavender eyes, as Ino stammered out through her tears.

"Hi-Hinata-chan?"

Upon reaching her weeping friend, Hinata was suddenly enveloped in a hug, as Ino began crying even more and kept saying over and over to the Hyuga girl.

"He hates me Hinata, Naruto-kun hates me!"

"Shhhhh, Naruto-kun doesn't hate you, he's just upset right now. I promise he could never hate you." Hinata replied while holding onto Ino trying to reassure the girl.

"No you're wrong, you didn't hear him, he hates me I just know it! I don't want to live anymore if Naruto-kun hates me!" Ino cried out in hysterics.

Hinata could tell that the Yamanaka girl was on the verge of a breakdown, as she released her embrace of the panicked girl and activated her Byakugan before striking out and closing off some Tenketsu points on Ino's neck knocking the girl unconscious. As Ino slumped into Hinata's arms, another voice called out.

"Hinata!"

"Kurenai-Sensei!"

Laying Ino gently on the grass, Hinata leapt up and hugged her former Sensei and surrogate older sister in a tight embrace, as both women had tears in their eyes. While both kunoichi's were hugging and crying tears of joy at their reunion. Sasuke had risen and walked over to where Kakashi stood by Ino and said.

"It's good to see you Kakashi-Sensei."

"You don't have to call me Sensei anymore Sasuke. I haven't been your teacher for several years now."

"Force of habit Kakashi- Sens…..senpai."

"An interesting blade you have there." Kakashi commented quietly, as he watched his former student sheathe his zanpaktou. Sasuke forced himself to hold his tongue, lest his pride get the best of him.

"Yes it is Kakashi-senpai; it's called a zanpaktou and it uses…."

"Kido based attacks and defense." Kakashi finished for his former pupil before adding.

"Yes, I'm well aware of what that blade is and what it does Sasuke."

"How is it you know about Kido? In fact, that was a Kido spell you used to redirect mine and Naruto's attacks back onto us."

A weary look ran through Kakashi's visible eye.

"It's a long story Sasuke, I'll tell you about it later. First let's see if we can pry Kurenai and Hinata away from one another and all of us can sit down and catch up." Kakashi answered while kneeling down to scoop up Ino into his arms.

The two kunoichi's who had been hugging leveled a hard glare at Kakashi before they broke apart and Hinata stated.

"All of you can come with me back to the camp. Before you arrived, Naruto-kun and I were about to sit down and have lunch. If you're hungry, I can have something prepared for all of you as well. We can also let Ino get some rest while we talk."

"Thank you Hinata, that sounds lovely." Kurenai commented.

"And all of us do have a lot to talk about, including Naruto." Kakashi declared in a grim tone.

Upon hearing that, everyone else solemnly nodded their head in understanding, as they all began their trek back towards the Crimson Bandits encampment.

* * *

After Hinata had gotten Ino situated inside her and Naruto's tent to rest, she joined all of her former comrades from the Leaf village. As they all sat around a small fire after having lunch, it was Kurenai who finally broke the silence and asked.

"So Hinata, are you well? Has Naruto been treating you alright?"

"I'm fine, Naruto-kun has treated me very well." Hinata commented, while slightly blushing remembering some of her nightly activities with the blonde Jinchuuriki.

Suddenly, some explosions were heard off in the distance, followed by a faint tremor beneath their feet, which threatened to dislodge some embers from the fire. Kakashi and Sasuke jumped to their feet in response before Hinata commented.

"There's nothing to be worried about, that's just Naruto-kun letting off some steam. I'm afraid your arrival has upset him a bit. He's probably sparring with Yugito-chan right now."

Kakashi arched an eyebrow, but it was his fellow Jounin who asked the question.

"Who is Yugito, Hinata?"

"Yugito-chan is a friend of Naruto-kun and I Kurenai-Sensei."

"How can she spar with Naruto and survive, when he's gotten so incredibly powerful?"

"I wouldn't worry about Yugito-chan, she's a Jinchuuriki same as Naruto-kun and is quite strong in her own right."

"A Jinchuuriki!" Kakashi swore beneath his breath at the news and then asked.

"Wait, what demon does she contain and where on earth did you find her?"

"Yugito-chan holds the Nibi (two-tailed cat) and I didn't find her anywhere Kakashi-sama. Naruto-kun rescued her from being captured by Suigetsu and Deidara of the Akatsuki. So, when I was able to locate Naruto-kun, she was already with him."

"Those are two of the most powerful members of that organization, how was Naruto able to rescue her?"

Hinata quietly shook her head."I don't know the details Kakashi-sama; all I know is Naruto-kun killed Suigetsu and injured Deidara who ran off before Naruto-kun could kill him."

"Naruto killed an Akatsuki member… h-how?" Kurenai stammered in amazement, as she remembered all the Akatsuki were rated as S-Class missing nin's. In fact it was the Akatsuki member Hidan who had killed Asuma and was said to be immortal. Fortunately Shikamaru had found a way around that immortality and took care of Hidan forever avenging his sensei.

"Naruto-kun is very powerful and getting stronger every day." Hinata commented, while beaming with pride about Naruto.

Kakashi took all this in silently, before finally declaring in a strenuous tone of voice.

"Well, if nothing else, this proves that the remaining Akatsuki are still after all the Jinchuuriki. Naruto and this Yugito should return to Konoha as soon as possible, you as well Hinata."

A scowl spread across Hinata's face and her visage took on a determined look, as she said with defiance while activating her Byakugan.

"Naruto-kun doesn't want to return to the Leaf village Kakashi-sama and I will only go back if Naruto wants to. If you try and take us back against our will, we will fight you!"

"You'll lose Hyuga." Sasuke arrogantly announced.

A spike of killer intent filled those pale orbs.

"Just try it Uchiha-teme!"

"Alright, everyone calm down. No one is forcing anybody to go back to the Leaf village at the moment." Kakashi announced while putting a hand on Sasuke's shoulder to keep the young man settled after Hinata's reply. Frustrated, Sasuke lashed out at his former teacher and said.

"I don't think you understand, if Naruto won't return to the village, Hokage Tsunade has given me orders to capture or kill him as a last resort!"

"Those orders have been rescinded Sasuke."

"Wha, what, are you sure Kakashi-sempai?"

"Yes Sasuke, Kurenai and I received a message via a messenger falcon a day ago. Lady Tsunade has cancelled the kill order and made our mission to bring Naruto back to the village…. alive. Apparently, she has something planned for Naruto, but she didn't say what it is."

Sasuke breathed a sigh of relief, but made no effort to hide the conceit in his voice.

"Well, I hope whatever the Hokage has planned will work in bringing the dobe back, because I really don't want to have to kick his ass just to bring him back to the village."

"As if!" Hinata snapped in an indignant tone before rising to go check on Ino.

* * *

Tsunade was doing her level best not to burst out laughing at the civilian Councilmember's faces, as she left the Council chamber after delivering her bombshell of news to the esteemed Konoha Council.

**(Flashback) **

"Thank you all for coming to this special session of the Konoha Council I requested. I know many of you are still in deep shock and mourning over the untimely and tragic death of Councilman Danzo." Tsunade stated while shooting a quick glance to her advisors who wilted under her gaze before the blonde Hokage continued on.

"However, we as a village must move on. To which by the power granted to me as Hokage, I name Teuchi Ichiraku to temporarily fill Councilman Danzo's seat until the regular elections for the Civilian Council comes up in a few months."

As Teuchi entered the Council chamber and took his seat on the civilian side of the Council once occupied by Danzo, one of his former lackeys on the Council stood up and declared.

"You can't do that Tsunade, that man is a known sympathizer to the demon Uzumaki boy!"

"Silence you ignorant fool! First off, you will address me as Hokage-sama! Secondly, I have the power to name whoever I wish to the Council in case of an untimely death to one of members! And lastly, you have broken the thirds decree about speaking on that subject! Anbu, take this man to Ibiki for some reeducation immediately!"

A contingent of two Anbu appeared in a swirl of leaves before grabbing the shocked Councilman and disappearing with the man. Leaving behind one very stunned and now very subdued Civilian Council in its wake.

"Now, if there are no more interruptions, I can get onto the matter of why I have called for this meeting today." Tsunade declared while staring intently at the Civilian Council waiting for any of those fools to open up their mouth and say something. Satisfied that no one else on the Civilian Council was ready to risk incurring her wrath by saying something the blonde Hokage then announced.

"As many of you have been pestering me for months to name a successor for the Rokudaime position of Hokage after I retire, I've reached a decision on who that will be."

"So you've finally decided to name Sasuke Uchiha as your successor Hokage-sama, that's wonderful news." Another one of Danzo's former lackeys of the Civilian Council piped up with glee.

"Shut up you idiot! I'd sooner name a fat fool like you to that position before I would name someone who once betrayed the village to the status of Rokudaime Hokage. No, the individual I shall name for that position is the sole heir of the Yondaime Hokage."

"What, that's preposterous! The Yondaime had no living heirs!" Shouts Homura before an icy glare from Tsunade shut up the ancient advisor.

Many Council members then begin to voice their protests, but are subdued by Tsunade's killing intent, before she says.

"Today's meeting has to do with the reading of the Yondaime's will and officially recognizing this young man as the heir to the Namikaze Clan. Most of you already know this young man, his name is Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze, the living Jinchuuriki who keeps at bay the Kyuubi no Youko and is the only child and son of Minato Namikaze, the Yondaime Hokage."

"Absurd, everyone knows the Yondaime used some random orphan to seal away the great demon years ago!" One Civilian Councilman shouted before he was overwhelmed by Tsunade's killing intent, as she said with venom.

"You stupid moron! Do you honestly think that the Yondaime would use an orphaned child to seal the beast away or even a child from a family? All of you sit there and shut-up while I read the last document the fourth ever wrote which happens to contain his last will and testament!"

_**If you are currently reading this, I the Yondaime Hokage Minato Namikaze write this knowing that I shall soon be dead. At this moment many of our brave shinobi have given or are currently giving their lives to fight a horrible terror that has befallen the village. A few hours ago the Village Hidden in the Leaves was attacked by a Bijuu known as the Kyuubi no Youko. It is the most powerful of all the great demons and though we have tried valiantly, we are simply incapable of defeating it. I am now left with only one recourse to save the village and its people. I'm going to have to seal away the demonic beast using a forbidden jutsu which will cost me my life. **_

_**Moments ago, I just witnessed my wife of one year sacrifice her life to protect our newly born son, Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze. The pain and grief from her death is shattering to me, especially with what I now have to do with our only child. I am sorry my son for I'm going to have to seal the Kyuubi no Youko into you, so it can't escape. It pains me greatly to place such a heavy burden onto you, but I cannot ask another family to give up their child for the act, if I wasn't willing to give up my own. I just hope the people of this village treat you Naruto with the respect you deserve. You should be viewed upon by all as a living hero, for you are the vessel that keeps the great beast from escaping and wreaking his vengeance upon the village once more. **_

_**To my beloved son, Naruto, I leave to you every possession I have and I also leave to you your mother's will which you will find at the clan compound. Your mother's name was Uzumaki Kushina, the daughter of the Daimyo of the Land of the Whirlpool. She was a beautiful woman, and she loved you very much. There is so much more I want to say to you, but time grows short. My son I have copies of every jutsu I've ever created with instructions on how to learn and use the hidden at the compound. Also, if you ever meet my Sensei Jiraiya the Toad Sage and one of the legendary Sannin, he is your Godfather. I leave it to him to teach you my two most prized jutsu's that I ever created, the Rasengan and the Hiraishin no Jutsu.**_

_**Naruto, grow to be the splendid Shinobi I know you will be. I entrust your care to Hiruzen Sarutobi to ensure that happens.**_

_**I love you my son!**_

_**Namikaze Minato, the Yondaime Hokage.**_

After Tsunade finished reading the document, a pall of silence fell over the Council chamber like a shroud. After a moment, Hiashi Hyuga asked to examine the document with his Byakugan to attest to its validity. Upon scanning the document for any sign that it was a forgery, he deactivated his famous Kekkei Genkai and announced for everyone to hear.

"This document is genuine, it was written by the Yondaime Hokage, Minato Namikaze."

"Hmm… his father truly is the Yondaime." Shikaku Nara commented in afterthought.

"Hai." Tsunade replied.

"So, Hokage-Sarutobi lied to everyone, I can't believe he would do such a thing!" Inoichi Yamanaka shouted out in anger and frustration.

"Hai, he did Yamanaka-san, but Sarutobi-Sensei did that thinking he was protecting the boy. That's why Naruto was given his mother's maiden name and not his fathers." Tsunade stated with remorse to the angered clan leader.

"I guess that means that Naruto is the rightful heir to the Namikaze clan." Chouza Akimichi declares with certainty.

"Hai, he is, which is why I now call for a vote for this Council and the village to recognize Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze, as the rightful heir of the Namikaze Clan and my chosen successor to be the Rokudaime Hokage. All of you, who approve of this measure, raise your hand."

All members of both the Civilian Council and the Shinobi Council raised their hands in support. However, both Homura and Koharu were a little hesitant before a sharp glare from Tsunade informed them of what their vote should be if they wanted to continue to live.

"Then by the power as the Godaime Hokage and of the Konoha Council it shall be announced and is official that Naruto Uzumaki has been granted his rightful heritage and title of Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze, the heir to the prestigious Namikaze clan and our next Hokage!"

Applause breaks out among many of the council members, with the exception of one, who was engrossed with his own thoughts about the news he had just learned.

"I can't believe this has happened! I'm such a fool, I could have had the sole heir of the Namikaze clan and the Leaf village's next Hokage tied to my clan through marriage to my daughter Hinata. Now, I have nothing!" Hiashi silently lamented to himself.

**(End of Flashback)**

* * *

The next day when the news of Naruto's true heritage as the living legacy of the Yondaime Hokage Minato Namikaze had been announced, it had thrown the village into an uproar. While a few die-hard Naruto haters refused to believe the news and said it was a trick. They were quickly silenced when the proof of the Fourth Hokage's last will and testament had been authenticated by the Konoha Council. And when Tsunade read the will to the people of the Leaf village it left a profound effect upon the villagers.

The majority of the villagers were now dealing with a wide range of emotions within themselves when the truth about Naruto was revealed. The most prevalent emotions being happiness and joy upon learning that the last living legacy of their beloved Fourth Hokage lived. And the emotions of guilt and remorse at how they had treated the boy growing up.

It had been a few days since the announcement, as Tsunade stood on her balcony gazing over the village with disgust. It galled the blonde Hokage to no end at looking upon the very same people in the village, who use to shun or treat Naruto poorly in the past, were now going out of their way to heap praise and kindness about him merely for the fact of who his father was. Even worse than the behavior these pathetic hypocrites of villagers were the masses of people at the Hokage Memorial praying and begging for forgiveness to Minato for the sins they committed against his son in the past.

And finally the most pathetic of the villagers were the ones who couldn't live with the guilt of what they had done in the past to Naruto and took the easy way out by committing suicide. When the villagers learned that Naruto was no longer there, it had created a general atmosphere of shame, guilt, and sorrow rampant throughout the village. As Tsunade continued to stare across the village and it's people she thought to herself.

'_Damn it, I..…no everyone need Naruto to return home. Because if he doesn't, I'm not sure the Leaf village can survive, as I fear the people are just going to wallow in their misery and guilt forever without him.' _

* * *

After watching Hinata march off to go and check on Ino, Kakashi sat in muted silence as he pondered his next move in getting Naruto to return to the Leaf village. Suddenly an idea emerged that he thought might have a chance in helping to facilitate Naruto's homecoming. Turning to Sasuke, he ordered the Uchiha male to follow him, while the two of them went off in search of Naruto.

"What?" Naruto snapped at both his former sensei and comrade with an incredulous glare, pausing only to wipe a bead of sweat from his brow.

After deciding that his ferocious rage had ebbed somewhat from their spar, he'd let Yugito go back to camp and was about to follow his fellow Jinchuuriki, when Kakashi and Sasuke showed up. Now, as he carefully wrapped Zangetsu back in its cloth sheath, he contemplated what his former sensei had just said and was curious about the silver-haired Jounin's sudden offer.

"That's right, the second and final stage of Bankai you've been working so hard to reach, I can help you and Sasuke achieve it much faster." Kakashi's smile could both be seen beneath his mask and in his cheerful demeanor.

"What's the catch?" Naruto snarled in skepticism.

"Catch?" Kakashi tilted his head to the side comically before asking.

"Now why would there be a catch? Is it really so wrong of me to lend my students a hand in their training?"

"Yes, it is." Naruto countered, sparing Sasuke a heated glare before continuing on.

"Because the most you ever taught _me_ was how to walk up trees. And if I recall, you were never too eager to teach me anything of significance only to the teme over there including your prized jutsu the Chidori."

Kakashi's head lowered a bit in guilt, the sting of Naruto's words hitting their mark, as he couldn't deny what he said was the truth, while his former student's glare spoke volumes.

"That was in the past and I deeply regret some of the choices I made back then. I can only ask that you trust me now when I say I wish to atone for my past actions and I honestly want to help you Naruto." Kakashi replied, in a penitent tone of voice.

"Words are cheap, actions speak louder and you still haven't said what the catch is?"

"I wouldn't call it a catch per-se, just a...condition."

Naruto's scowl deepened.

"What kind of condition?"

* * *

Hinata quietly entered the tent she shared with Naruto so as not to awaken Ino, but to her surprise, the blonde kunoichi was already awake and looking around the tent.

"Ino, are you feeling better?"

She started in surprise, but seemed to relax a bit once she'd recognized Hinata.

"Hai, I am Hinata, other than a sore throat I'm feeling much better."

"I'm sorry about doing that to you, but you looked like you were about to have a nervous breakdown."

"Yeah, maybe I was, I guess it was just the pain in knowing that the man I love hates me."

Hinata paused, as she recalled the look of indescribable fury that Naruto had leveled at Ino only a few hours ago before trying to assure he blonde friend.

"Naruto-kun doesn't hate you; he's just having a difficult time dealing with his feelings."

"I don't know, he seemed pretty certain when he said he couldn't even look at me anymore. I suppose he's forgotten all about me and has moved on to this Yugito girl I overheard you talking about outside."

"Umm, well Naruto-kun does have feelings for Yugito-chan, and she for him, but they haven't acted upon them."

"Really, I figured this was Naruto's tent when I saw some of his stuff lying around. Then I noticed some female clothing in here and assumed Naruto was sharing this tent with this Yugito."

"Uhhh, well Naruto is sharing the tent with someone, but it's not Yugito. He, he's sharing the tent with…..me." Hinata stated sheepishly, as her eyes darted to the ground.

"Oh I see, I guess I really am the idiot Naruto-kun called me. Congratulations Hinata, it looks like you've won." Ino stated the hurt evident in her tone as she spoke, before turning her head away to keep from crying in front of Hinata.

"Ino, I want to talk to you, about me and Naruto-kun to try and explain." Hinata replied nervously, as she sat down on the ground across from Ino.

"What about him?" Ino spat bitterly before continuing.

"There's nothing to explain, I should have guessed Naruto would be with you Hinata, you were always his first true love. I was nothing more to Naruto than the rebound girl after you married the mutt!"

A resounding smack echoed through the air. Stunned, Ino could only hold a hand to her face as a red hand-print throbbed angrily upon her left cheek, her ears cringing as a very, very angry Hinata yelled at her.

"Look Ino I know you're hurting right now, but that gives you no right to speak such lies about Naruto-kun! You know very well that he loved you deeply and you were never the rebound girl to him as you put it after I got married. So stop being a _spoiled jealous bitch_ and talk to me!"

Ino gazed towards her friend, shocked that Hinata had actually lost her temper like that and called her a spoiled jealous bitch. The Yamanaka girl was still rubbing her cheek when she heard the Hyuga girl stammer.

"I'm, I'm sorry I didn't mean to call you that, it's just I know how much you meant to Naruto-kun during the time you two were together. And though it hurt me deeply seeing you with Naruto-kun, I was happy for the both of you that you had found one another. I'm sorry for striking you, but I just got angry at hearing you denigrate the time you shared with him."

"It's ok, I guess I deserved that. This is just hard for me, knowing I've given up everything to try and find and be with Naruto only to learn that I'm too late, he's yours once again."

"I understand what you're feeling. I remember feeling jealous every time I saw you two together, even though I had no right to. I was married to Kiba which was my own fault due to my weakness, but even though you're my friend, I was still jealous because it was you with Naruto-kun and not me."

Ino just sat there stunned and stared at Hinata. It never occurred to her that the Hyuga girl could sympathize with what she was feeling. Ino realized it must have been torture for Hinata seeing her true love with someone else. Ino was about to respond when the Hyuga girl spoke once more.

"But I won't apologize for being with Naruto now. I too have given up everything to be with him. My home, my family, my clan, everything! I have nothing left for me back in the Leaf village other than hate and scorn from everyone, but I don't care. Naruto has taken me back into his life and I would rather die than to be apart from him ever again! I hope you can understand that?"

"I understand, I'm sorry if I made you feel guilty in being with him. Do you still love him like before?"

"I never stopped loving him." Hinata answered with no hesitation and absolute certainty in her voice."

"I see I'm happy for you Hinata." Ino stated while looking back down towards the ground.

"Do you still love him Ino?" Hinata nervously asked, a little scared of what the answer would be. Ino could only laugh to herself, as she wrapped her arms around her to keep from collapsing in tears.

"Yes, I still love him! I love him more than I have anyone else in my entire life."

Hinata could only gaze down, as she had no words to say to help ease the pain her friend was feeling. Before the Hyuga heiress could think of anything to say, she heard Ino declare with remorse.

"But it doesn't matter that I still love him, he hates me! I have nothing left anymore, Naruto-kun was one of only two people I had in my life that I truly cared about more than myself. And now knowing that he's gone from me forever, I'm just alone and the worst part about it is I can never replace him. Because no matter how long or hard I try, nothing can change the fact that I stupidly threw away best guy in the world." Ino shouted to herself in frustration.

"I'm, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell out like that. You must think I'm pretty pathetic right now." Ino stated with embarrassment, bashfully avoiding eye contact with Hinata.

"No, I don't think you're pathetic. You could never be pathetic in my eyes." Hinata replied with sincerity, as she pulled the Yamanaka girl into a hug.

"Th, thank you Hinata, that means the world to me." Ino stated as a tear rolled down her cheek while hugging her friend a little bit tighter when she heard the Hyuga girl ask.

"Ino, can I ask you something? You mentioned someone else that you care about as deeply as Naruto-kun; can't you find happiness with that person?"

Ino's face went beet red and she pulled away from Hinata's embrace and turning her head away said with a tinge of sadness.

"I wish I could, but that other person has recently found someone else. Not that it matters, I wouldn't dare think of revealing my feelings to this other person for fear of ruining our friendship."

"But, even if this other person is in a relationship, you should still tell them your feelings and let them decide."

"I, I don't know, I'm scared of what they might think or do if I reveal my feelings."

"You said this person is a friend of yours, so if they are I'm sure everything will be alright."

After taking a few moments to contemplate what Hinata had said, Ino mustered up her courage and said.

"Well, like I said, there is someone else that I care for as deeply as I do Naruto-kun, and that person is…...you Hinata-chan."

Time seemed to stand still for Ino as she stared anxiously into Hinata's eyes waiting for her response. For her part, Hinata just sat there wide-eyed and with a blank expression on her face before she stammered out in bewilderment:

"Wha, what did you say?"

Ino smiled a bit at Hinata's confusion before leaning in and placing a soft kiss on her lips. Hinata didn't move, as she was sure she was going to die from shock right then and there. In fact when she felt Ino's moist lips press against her own, without thinking, she opened her mouth in disbelief, which Ino took advantage of by sliding her tongue into the Hyuga girl's mouth.

Hinata's eyes widened in shock, as she felt Ino's tongue snake its way in her mouth and playfully tease her own. Hinata then felt Ino's hands on her hips and by then she had already pressed herself against Hinata gently lowering the practically frozen Hyuga girl to the ground.

Hinata wanted to stop her, wanted to break away, but the pleasure she was feeling from the kiss and from Ino's hands caressing her body was proving a difficult adversary to fight against, and she could feel herself losing the battle. Ino now had Hinata pinned under her making escape virtually impossible for the girl. Hinata moaned lustfully into Ino's mouth, as she felt the Yamanaka heiress squeeze her ass, while her other hand swept itself up Hinata's shirt to fondle the soft skin of her breasts. Hinata finally regained enough control and strength to move, as she turned her head around sharply to the side to break the kiss and cried out while panting in desire.

"S-Stop it Ino, I can't do this! I love Naruto-kun and I would never cheat on him, I couldn't do that to him, I'd rather die first!" Hinata said while hurriedly extricating herself from underneath the blonde kunoichi.

Tears started falling from Ino's eyes, as she buried her face in the palms of her hands and stammered out in sorrow.

"I'm, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to take it that far. I was only intending on giving you an innocent kiss. I don't know what came over me! Pl-please don't hate me Hinata, I don't think I could stand it if you did!"

"I-it's ok," Hinata replied, still quite flustered herself, as she tried to soothe the distraught Yamanaka heiress.

"I don't hate you, I was just taken by surprise, but I just don't know what to say now? I'm so confused; I thought you loved Naruto-kun?"

"I-I _do_ love him Hinata, but over the years as we grew closer as friends, I also started developing feelings for you while still being madly in love with Naruto-kun." Ino replied in quiet earnest before continuing on to try and provide a better explanation.

"Hinata, I know it's hard to understand and I really don't know how to explain it either."

Ino fidgeted a bit, trying not to blush and upon failing to do so, reluctantly continued.

"I would be lying if I said I wasn't attracted to you, but I still love Naruto-kun and I think I love you too. Because you and Naruto-kun are the only two people whose feelings I care about more than my own. I know it's hard to believe, but you and Naruto-kun are the two most important people in my life."

"Are, are you saying you're bisexual?"

"No, at least not in the way you think. Because as I know Naruto-kun is the only man I can ever truly love, I also know you're the only woman I can truly love as well. I've never had these feelings for any other man or woman, because I know I would never find anyone else as beautiful, kind, and as loving as the two of you." Ino replied with sincerity before a soft sob escaped her lips, as she sat on the ground and pulled her legs up to her chest, arms wrapped around them with her chin resting on her knees and in a pain-filled voice asked.

"I've ruined our friendship haven't I?"

Hinata had been listening intently to everything Ino had been saying and now gazing at her sullen friend, she made a decision that seemed totally outrageous and impulsive, but it also seemed to make total sense, as she stated while stuttering.

"No, you haven't ruined anything, I'm glad you told me. I, I care a great deal about you to and I know you love Naruto-kun deeply. S-so I wouldn't mind sh-sharing him with you."

"Do, do you really mean that Hinata?" Ino exclaimed in astonishment when she heard the Hyuga girl's suggestion.

"Yes, I want us to remain friends and I don't want you to see you hurt. You're my best friend, I couldn't have survived these last three years without you there to support me. And I couldn't stand to see you in pain because I'm with Naruto-kun. Plus, I feel really guilty for feeling this way and saying this, but I enjoyed our kiss." Hinata stated sheepishly while looking away from her blonde best friend.

Ino moved over and sat next to Hinata and put an arm around her shoulder in comfort. Hinata turned to face Ino once again who said with assurance.

"Don't feel guilty, if you know that you love Naruto-kun more than anything else in the entire world than you shouldn't feel ashamed. Thank you Hinata for making such an offer, but it doesn't matter, Naruto wants nothing to do with me, so the three of us being together in such a way is just a fantasy."

"I told you before Ino, Naruto-kun doesn't hate you. In fact just the opposite I think he still loves you because the only times I've ever seen him get that upset, it's usually with someone he cares for very deeply. Let me talk to him, but I'll need some time ok?"

Ino nodded her head in understanding, before both women rose to their feet. As they made their way to the entrance of the tent, Hinata turned around and with a mischievous spark in her eye stated.

"You know, Naruto-kun is many things, but he's also still a man. So I think he would find it totally hot if he knew I wanted to be with you and him at the same time."

Ino grew wide-eyed in surprise upon hearing Hinata's declaration and even more shocked when the Hyuga girl leaned in to place a passionate kiss upon her lips. After a moment the initial shock wore off and Ino fervently returned said kiss with eager enthusiasm before both girls finally broke away from one another and exited the tent giggling.

* * *

**Authors Notes:** I present to you chapter 25 for your enjoyment. Not an extremely lengthy chapter, but an important one to the story. I added about another 1000 word count to the chapter, but with no major changes from the original, there were quite a few subtle ones throughout the chapter that required a bit of rewriting. Most of it was to help the flow of the chapter and some grammar issues. Kudos to all of you who recognized at the end of chapter 24 that scene being eerily similar to a hospital rooftop from the manga many years ago. Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter and I'm anxious to see what your reviews will be for it.

I do wish to thank everyone both old and new readers who took the time to review my last chapter. For those of you who did review, you all had a lot to say about it and I'm pleased that this story has such a strong fan base with readers who actually write out well thought-out reviews. Because of that, I enjoy reading many of your reviews, so please leave lots of them, as they do help a writer get a sense of the thoughts and opinions of the fans of a story. They also can help lift the spirits of an author as well. Also, to any readers who are staff members to any C2 communities, please feel free to add my story to your community if you feel it is worthy of it. I won't mind, I swear. I'll even pinkie swear if I need to?

**_News:_**

Recently, I've alerted my readers to a couple of polls set up on each of their accounts by the fine authors brown phantom and Zentary asking the question.

**Who is the best Naruto fanfic writer on this site?**

Zentary's poll has remained open and is still active.

Regrettably, brown phantom has ended his poll on this question. However, he has started a new poll asking,

**Which is the best Naruto fan fiction story on this site?**

So I humbly ask if you feel I'm worthy of being one of your 10 author picks to please place a vote for me in Zentary's poll. And if you feel my story "Naruto vs. Sasuke: The Aftermath" or any of my stories are worthy of being voted for in brown phantom's new poll, please place a vote for them. I thank you in advance for your support and normally I would provide you the links to the profile pages for both brown phantom and Zentary. However, one of the "oh so wonderful" changes FFnet has recently made is making it more difficult to list a link anywhere even if it's a link on their own freaking site. So just do a quick search for the authors, brown phantom and Zentary.

***Of note, brown phantom recently informed me that "Naruto vs. Sasuke The Aftermath" currently sits in 13th place on his poll. Now I'm not so arrogant to think I should be number one, but I do believe that my story is at least deserving of a Top 10 ranking. So please help me out if you can by voting for it.**

**Sadly, this story was in 43rd place. **

**_End of News:_**

* * *

Thanks for your support of this story and take it easy!

_**Kingkakashi **_


	26. Reinforcements

**Do I Have A Purpose Anymore?**

**Chapter 26: "Reinforcements"**

"Daaaaamn it I'm bored! When the hell are they gonna get here?"

A man snorted in complaint, the sound filling the otherwise silent room, bouncing off the walls, echoing loudly. After a moment, another voice rang out in deadly authority and with annoyance.

"Unless you want to end up like Suigetsu only by my hand, I suggest you be quiet."

"Hey, the nine-tails didn't beat me _that _bad Madara-sama." Deidara submissively pled in his defense, before adding.

"We just got caught off guard, that's all."

The clay using Akatsuki member still wasn't too pleased by the direction the battle had taken and he wanted to be well prepared before he ran into the Jinchuuriki again.

"And because of that, Suigetsu is dead."

There was a forboding silence and they all knew why. For Suigetsu to have been killed so easily, so effortlessly…...it was more than a little concerning to the elder Uchiha. Naruto had slaughtered Suigetsu, as if he were just a mere genin, not an S-Class missing nin. That meant Naruto had grown even stronger, since the Fourth Shinobi war.

Madara was brought out of his musings, when Zetsu rose from the floor and announced.

"They're here Lord Madara."

"I still think this is a bad idea Madara-sama, he can't be trusted. Deidara openly commented.

"Fortunately, you're not paid to think!" Zetsu grumbled in irritation, his faced hidden as always within the giant fly-trap type collar. This frigid weather was not to his liking. Why couldn't they have lured the Jinchuuriki to some humid jungle? Why did it have to be a stupid little village that was always covered in snow? He HATED the snow!

"I'd shut-up half n' half, before I introduce you to my art!" Deidara spat back in anger.

"Silence the both of you! He may not be trustworthy, but I need his skills and power to help take down the nine-tails. We lost too many of our fellow brethren in last war and now with Suigetsu's death, we need to shore up the ranks of the Akatsuki, if we are to accomplish my goals." Madara declared, before signaling Zetsu to bring their guests to him.

A minute later, an extremely pale-skinned human with waist-length black hair and amber eyes with slits in his pupils and purple markings around his eyes entered the room. He also bore two plain blue tomoe-shaped earrings. The man wore a plain grey long flowing shirt over a black long-sleeved shirt with black pants and a thick purple rope belt tied in a large knot behind his back.

Another man was trailing behind the first one. This man had onyx eyes and ash-grey hair, which was kept in a ponytail that extended to his upper back, with his bangs framing either side of his forehead. He also wore a dark purple shirt with a high collar, a white under-shirt and fingerless gloves with armored plates on the back of the hand, a white cloth waistband worn at an angle, dark purple pants, blue sandals, and a shuriken holster on his right leg.

When they pair reached the throne upon where Madara was sitting they bowed in respect, before Madara spoke up and said.

"Orochimaru, Kabuto, thank you for accepting my invitation."

"Ku, ku, ku, given our past history together, I wasn't sure that we should, but you did promise us safe passage both to here and upon leaving if we so choose. So I accepted, as I know you Uchiha hold honor in very high esteem. Now what is it that you wish to speak to me about Madara Uchiha?"

"I wish for you and your protégé to join the ranks of the Akatsuki once more."

"For what purpose?"

As you already know, the events that led up to and during the Fourth Shinobi war has left only Deidara, Zetsu, and myself as surviving members."

"What about Suigetsu? My sources informed me long ago that he had joined your ranks."

Regrettably, Suigetsu was lost to us at the hands of the Nine-tailed Jinchuuriki."

"I see, so Naruto is still a thorn in your side."

"It's a thorn I shall soon be removing, but to do so I need to bolster the ranks of my Akatsuki to help me accomplish that, hence why I have called upon you."

Orochimaru rubbed his chin in contemplation for a moment, before he asked in curiosity.

"Ku, ku, ku, if I were to rejoin your organization, what's in it for me?"

"Konohagakure."

"Our former homeland!" Orochimaru exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes, the village Hidden in the Leaves will be yours to rule as you see fit, once we've conquered it of course."

"An intriguing offer Madara."

"I thought you would like it. I imagine once in power, you and your protégé can experiment on the citizens to your heart's content, as you are still seeking the prize of immortality."

"And all you need of us is to help you capture the nine-tails."

"Correct."

"If I accept and we take down Naruto and then conquer Konoha and I assume control over our village. What will you be doing?"

"With the powers of the Nine-tailed demon fox at my command, I will seek out all of those nations that opposed me during the Fourth Shinobi war and subjugate all of them under my heel for the rest of their miserable lives and beyond!" Madara answered with malevolence.

"So it's revenge you seek and nothing more."

"Yes, with the Moon's Eye plan forever defeated. I want to crush everyone who had a part in the destruction of my lifelong dream."

Orochimaru stood silent as he considered the Elder Uchiha's offer. After a minute, he finally spoke up and said.

"I will accept your invitation and the prize that goes with it Madara, but I want one more thing if I do."

"What?"

"I want Sasuke Uchiha!"

"Done, I have no love for my kinsman, considering he too helped play a vital part in defeating me and ruining my Moon's Eye plan for the future. He's yours for the taking if you wish. Madara immediately agreed, with no doubt in his voice whatsoever.

"Ku, ku, ku, I'm most pleased with this arrangement. Now do you have a plan to capture Naruto?"

"I have set a plan in motion that the Kyuubi no Youko container _will_ come to us soon enough, whether he will do so willingly or not. I too am pleased that you've accepted to rejoin our ranks Orochimaru, but remember if you betray us again it will not be Itachi who you will be facing as you did in the past, it will be…..me!"

Orochimaru nodded his head in understanding, as he knew for as skilled and powerful as he was, it was nothing compared Madara's power and skill in battle.

* * *

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Naruto spat with fury, surprised at how blatant Kakashi had been about asking.

"You want Hinata-chan and I to go back with you and Kurenai-sensei to Konoha in exchange for Bankai training? Well then you can fucking forget it Hatake!"

Kakashi noticed that Naruto still used the sensei attachment for Kurenai, but not for him. The once proud sensei of Team #7 winced at the venom his former student spat, before exhaling softly, knowing full well what his former students' reaction would be to what he was about to say next.

"I'm not asking you to decide right away. I'm only asking that you consider it."

"I have." Naruto performed an about face, his back now to Kakashi.

"And as I said before, you can go fuck yourself."

"Naruto, just do as Kakashi-sensei asks.

At once, Naruto whipped his head toward his former teammate.

"Screw you Sasuke! You were always his favorite pet on the team not me. You should do what he says, since you were the only one who he ever trained and gave a damn about! I'm not going back to Konoha just because this hypocrite asks me to. I'll learn to achieve Bankai on my own!" Naruto angrily declared, before stomping off to begin his training.

With Kakashi's offer still on his mind, Naruto scowled in determination.

"Alright, one more time!"

Irritated, but resolute to give it another go, Naruto swept his arm back out, palm resting upon his forearm, thrusting Zangetsu forward as the energy began to stream out of the sword, and into his body. Blue light flickered at his feet and then began to rise around him, forming, swirling, spiraling into...

Nothing.

Naruto's whiskered face creased in frustration, as the energies sputtered and died, leaving him on his knees gasping for air that came slowly and fitfully. Sweat beaded from his brow, forming a small puddle at his feet, a puddle which he now smashed his fist into with aggravation.

"Damn it! What the hell am I doing wrong?"

Naruto seethed internally as he looked to the right. A red reiatsu whipped around the Uchiha's body, raw, yet controlled, powerful enough to shatter a nearby tree into timbers, but held in check just the same. Naruto allowed himself a small contented smile.

Sasuke seemed to be having the same trouble when it came to controlling his energy in unison with that of his blade. No sooner had the thought occurred to him, then the dome contracted, the sphere of destruction now only extending about a yard outward. Sasuke smirked at the disbelieving expression his former teammate now wore.

"Surprised?"

"No, not at all." Naruto grumbled, forcing himself back to his feet, before his own blue reaitsu came in answer to Sasuke's red, the twin colors conjoining together and creating purple, sparks beginning to fly between their blades. In another life, such an insult sent blood boiling.

However, this was a _different _life, a different Naruto. His temper, still volatile as before, had now become tempered, focused upon a single goal, one sole objective and nothing else. Naruto's anger now forged, into an unstoppable blade, much like the one that lay before him; this drove him forward to his task.

_Naruto Uzumaki had a purpose._

The revelation was as swift as it was stunning and everything dropped away, leaving the ex-shinobi in the blackness. All this time, what had he been fighting for? At first, it had been pure instinct, an almost unholy desire to escape, to rid himself of Konoha and all those who inhabited it, all those who had caused him pain. Like the wind that was his element, Uzumaki Naruto had no course; he held no conceivable course or direction.

Save for Tazuna and his family, _that _Naruto had lashed out at any and all who dared approach him, torn down all and anything that possessed the impudence, _the gall _to bar the wayward path that he had once believed to be freedom. He killed for survival, but he had ended lives all the same.

And then Nelliel entered his life. Considering it now, she would have charmed anyone else, no matter how black their heart into submission the moment they crossed her path. It was mere happenstance that she had encountered Naruto first, before one of the now dead bandits had noticed her.

Uzumaki shuddered at the thought and what it implied. Nel belonged to _him_. There was no other way to explain the complex father-daughter relationship that had flourished so seamlessly between the two. She taken to him like a fish to water, he needed her to temper the darkness that sill dwelled within him.

Then Yugito entered the fold. Perhaps it was the fact that she too was a Jinchuuriki, or that she too knew the pain of loss and abandonment, of being shunned, scorned, hated, just for her very existence. There was just..._something about her. _An irresistible pull surrounded her, something close to magnetism. He'd felt it the moment he'd slammed the Nibi vessel into the tree and demanded that she be quiet. The moment Nel had innocently suggested that Yugito could be a 'wife-chan' and despite his initial dismay; Naruto felt a shared bond with Yugito that no one other than another Jinchuuriki could understand.

The fact that Yugito was one of the few people who could actually spar with him and come out alive, well, that was a plus too. Then there was…...her.

Naruto never imagined being reunited with his first true love and had resigned himself to the fact that she was gone forever. So it was quite a shock to Naruto when Hinata joined his growing little family, reclaiming a tender place in his heart that had never quite healed since they'd first parted ways. Now their love with one another was as strong and as passionate as it had been years ago. It was as if Hinata had never married Kiba and that it had all been just a bad dream to begin with. As Naruto thought about his indigo-haired princess he smiled at the way her eyes misted over with motherly warmth whenever she saw Nelliel or the way her cheeks would flush a deep crimson scarlet whenever he whispered in her ear. The power she held over him with just a few soft words she could speak would calm him down in an instant or with her gentle soothing touch that spoke of a dedicated lover who knew him so well that words were not even necessary between them.

Whenever Naruto thought of his Hyuga princess, he was filled with bliss.

Last, but certainly not least there was Ino Yamanaka who had been suddenly thrust back into his life much to his chagrin. The blonde-haired kunoichi evoked a fierce fiery sensation of raw pain and agony, stabbing into his heart, twisting and knotting around his very soul. Ino still provoked age old feelings of deep love, but at the same time the pain was there threatening to strangle that love and turn it into rage. Naruto knew he had to be careful, very careful when it came to Ino. His breakup with her had actually been the most painful of them all. Not because he had loved Ino anymore than he had loved Sakura or Hinata, but because he had warned the Yamanaka heiress that his heart had been rendered so vulnerable by those two. He was fearful that if he allowed himself to love Ino and something were to happen to them, he wouldn't be able to take that kind of pain a third time. And Naruto still remembers Ino's response to his fears word for word to this day when he asked at the start of their relationship.

**"Do you mean it Ino-chan, do you really love me?"**

**"I meant every word Naruto-kun, and I promise I'll never hurt you."**

Yes, Naruto was still torn when the matter fell to Ms. Yamanaka, and it aggravated him greatly that she still held some significance in his life, whether it was a painful one or not, that was for him to decide. However, it didn't change the facts that now raced through his mind about his upcoming battle against the Akatsuki.

"I'm not doing this for myself." He had to speak the words aloud in order to actually realize them.

"No, there's more to it than that. I'm not fighting because I want to win, I'm fighting because...because I have to win. This isn't all about me now, even though I want it to be."

_'I'm...not alone anymore.'_

Nel, Hinata, Yugito, even Ino, everyone...

Unlikely as it would seem, Naruto, had somehow rediscovered the meaning of love and friendship. These were important people in his life once again; there were those that he wanted- no, _needed _to protect. And if it meant making a suicide run against the world's most powerful criminal organization? Well, stubbornness was the one aspect of his personality that hadn't changed. If it kept them safe, then it was all worth it.

With this in mind, everything became clear as day.

Spurred on by this determination, Naruto inhaled and took up Zangetsu once more. Gripping the wrapped tang in both hands the Jinchuuriki grunted, a determined scowl breaking through the half smile, as white hot fire roared into existence, spreading from the blade and into his body.

_'Impressive.' _A familiar voice called out in his mind, as a figure faded in and out of Naruto's head, translucent in his appearance, yet firm in his voice.

_'You're much like my old master, Naruto.' _

Suddenly, for a moment, a figure appeared of a tall, lean-built, and stoic middle-aged man. He had pale skin, high cheekbones, stubble, and long ragged black hair with brown highlights. His attire consisted of a tattered white dress shirt with an upturned collar and cuffs, black pants, low-heeled boots, and a long, amorphous black overcoat with a burgundy highlight that flares out into ragged ends. He wore brown-tinted, semi-transparent wraparound sunglasses. And he smiled at Naruto, before he disappeared altogether.

Sasuke, unaware of what just happened, could only blink, startled by the display.

"Dobe, what're you..."

"Zangetsu!" Naruto exclaimed, thrusting the zanpaktou before his chest for the second time grinning wildly, as the bluish black light all but howled into existence about his body, forming his own dome of destruction, a massive translucent black sphere that stretched _three _yards in comparison to Sasuke's one. As the Uchiha looked on in disbelief, the white cloth unwound from the tang and wrapped itself tight about the blonde's shoulder, which he thrust forward prominently, stabbing outward with the hulking blade, growling softly as the ground began to quake.

Sasuke found himself taking a small step back, as Naruto began to laugh.

_'No way, don't tell me...' _ Sasuke realized.

Naruto had achieved the final stage of Bankai.

* * *

Another far off tremor shook the ground and Kakashi winced, as he heard the unmistakable sound of laughter in the distance. Clearly Naruto was quite content with his current lifestyle and had absolutely no desire to return to Konoha, which made _his _mission even more difficult than it was already.

This left Kakashi with a serious dilemma, he couldn't just drag Naruto back to the village, such a thing was impossible. Well, he could try, but he'd likely end up losing an arm in the process. Hinata would doubtlessly fight, as would Yugito. Ino's position on this was still questionable, and Kurenai would likely side with her former pupil if it came down to a fight. Sasuke wouldn't hesitate to fight Naruto though, so at least the last Uchiha could be counted on to help Kakashi complete the mission.

Then there was the matter of this little gang that Naruto had amassed. They were all extraordinarily loyal and if Naruto fought, then so would they. Then again, most of the men had left, headed for some unknown destination, the likes of which were being kept tightly under wraps.

Was now the time to strike? Now, when Naruto had only two allies instead of hundreds. It would be a simple matter to slip a harmless sedative into their food and drink, but with Naruto's superior sense of smell and Hinata's Byakugan, would such a tactic even work? It was doubtful at best.

And if he were to fail...

For the first time in his elite career as a Jounin, Kakashi felt out of control of a situation. Just the thought of fighting an angry Hyuga and a pair of raging Jinchuuriki was unpleasant. Factor in a potentially furious Kurenai and Ino with their Genjutsu abilities and actually engaging in combat with the five of them was outright terrifying.

Thankfully, an unfamiliar chakra signature was felt by the silver-haired Jounin, which broke him out of his train of thought. Performing a quick set of hand seals, he silently slinked after the suspicious bandit being careful as not to be seen through the camouflage his jutsu provided him. Sakaki Hitoshi crept through and to the very edge of the encampment, glanced around briefly and muttered to himself, before slipping into an unmarked tent. Kakashi stiffened a bit; as a small hiss escaped from the mask he always wore.

That was Kurenai's tent.

In an instant, Kakashi flew into the tent and was greeted with the sight of Sakaki pinning Kurenai down and attempting to force his way with her. A primal growl erupted from Kakashi and before he knew what he was doing, his hand was tightly gripped around the bandit's face and the Konoha Jounin was currently sending jolts of electricity through said hand. Sakaki was screaming in agony, as his face was in danger of being burnt to a crisp, before Kurenai leapt up and knocked Kakashi's arm away causing the one-eyed Jounin to drop his foe abruptly.

Staggering out of the tent, Sakaki covered his face, in a vain attempt to stem the red liquid coursing through his fingertips. The smoldering burns he had just suffered would soon become hideous and disfiguring scars if they were not tended to soon. Sakaki looked up to see several people running towards his location, no doubt alerted by his screams and quickly skulked away before being discovered.

Hinata and Ino were the first to arrive and were startled to see Kakashi come flying out of Kurenai's tent and land in a heap on the ground. This was followed by a disheveled Kurenai storming out of her tent who shouted with rage and indignation.

"What the Hell did you think you were doing Kakashi?"

It was then that Hinata noticed the top of Kurenai's bandages above her breasts had been torn open. Jumping to a conclusion that Kakashi had attacked Kurenai, the Hyuga princess shouted out with vengeful fury and attacked the silver-haired Jounin with lightning fast jyuuken strikes.

"Byakugan! How dare you attack Kurenai-Sensei!"

The intensity of Hinata's unexpected attack was so fierce, that even for a seasoned Jounin like Kakashi, he was finding it difficult to block all of Hinata's fast moving strikes. Kurenai gasped with surprise when she saw her former student suddenly attack Kakashi and hearing what she said. Looking down to see her bandages ripped around her breasts in disarray she suddenly realized what Hinata must have thought had happened. It was then that Hinata's defiant shriek snared her attention. The raging Hyuuga had knocked Kakashi off balance and raised her arm to deliver a crushing blow. That is, until Kurenai appeared behind the Hyuga princess and pinned the girl's arm behind her back.

"Stop it Hinata you're mistaken, Kakashi _didn't _attack me, but fended off my attacker!"

Hinata turned her head, blinked and looked at her former teacher with confusion.

"But, but if Kakashi-Sensei did _that_, why were you yelling and attacking him when we arrived Kurenai-Sensei?"

"I, I….." Kurenai stammered, as she sought to answer the question, but found that she couldn't before looking towards Kakashi. The red-eyed kunoichi saw a brief moment of hurt flash across his face, before he quickly initiated a series of hand signs and disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

A moment later, Naruto and Sasuke arrived to find out what was going on? Sighing heavily, Kurenai began to inform everyone about what had happened.

* * *

Ayame was tending to the evening meal when she first heard him.

"Ah, the lovely Ayame." As always, his voice sent a small shiver up her spine and this time it was all she could do not to scream at the top of her lungs for her husband, who was still away training with Captain Kenpachi and the others.

"How are you this fine evening?" Sakaki placed a hand upon her shoulder, a bit too forcefully.

To her credit, she managed to keep the fear from flashing through her eyes, though the second Haruko skipped into view and saw the look on her mother's face; her tiny body betrayed her and instantly began to tremble. Exhaling softly, Ayame willed the tension to leave her system, her mind to be calm, and forced a reassuring smile to bloom on her pale face. It wasn't anywhere near as effective as she'd hoped it to be. Haruko took small step back, her lower lip already beginning to quiver in fear.

"I am well." Ayame replied, while struggling to keep her tone nonchalant and willed her body to turn and face him. Her attempt to be cordial fell by the wayside. She was not prepared for the sight that greeted her, and as such, was unable to stifle the shriek that left her lips. At once she slapped his hand away and lurched back in disgust.

For her gaze was focused on a face that had once been handsome and lovely.

No longer.

Several puss-filled ropey blisters almost in the shape of a hand now marred that once charming visage, turning what should have been a pleasant smile, into an ugly scowl.

"My dear, I mean you no harm. In fact my intentions are quite the opposite."

"If that's all you have to say, then do you mind?" Eager to look at _anything _other than his hideous face, Ayame turned her back to Sakaki perhaps a little too quickly. I have to prepare dinner-

Both hands clamped down upon her shoulders, and she found herself viciously spun about. In the confusion, she l

"Oh no my dear, I have absolutely no intention of leaving. You see I have business here of my own. First, you are one of the top healers within the camp and I need you to heal my injuries."

Hiding behind her mother, Haruko whimpered.

"Mommy, I'm scared...where's daddy?"

Inexplicably, the fear in Ayame's eyes cooled at that. She lowered her hands, no longer trying to defend herself against his advances, but at the same time, refusing to submit to the loathsome creature. Exhaling, the mother drew up to her full height of five foot four, and gazed up at Sakaki.

"And if I heal you, you will then leave."

"I'll leave, but only after I've repaid you for your service as only I can." Sakaki answered with a sneer, before groping one of Ayame's breasts through her apron.

Ayame immediately knocked his hand away and shouted with disgust.

"Get out my tent this instant!"

Momentarily taken aback, Sakaki reeled away from her, his gaze darting furiously about the room for any sign of an intruder, anything that might have strengthened her resolve. Finding nothing of the sort, he scoffed and turned his twisted scarred visage back to Ayame once more.

"And why should I?"

Sakaki didn't have _time _to finish his sentence. By the time he'd registered the thin rustling sound that was the tent flap opening behind him, he'd already been hauled outside and thrown mercilessly to the ground. When the crimson bandit's face hit the dirt he screamed out in agony, as a crunching sound was heard indicating a now broken nose. Even worse for Sakaki was the fact that his burns were still relatively fresh and the dirt, grass, and stones opened his blistered wounds.

"You bastard, look what you've done to my faaaaace!" Sakaki screamed with rage and pain at the masked silver-haired Jounin standing over him.

The low, angry growl reverberated from the chest of one Kakashi and the ground began to tremble around him. Haruko poked her little head out of the tent with a giggle, only for a familiar pair of hands to quickly usher her back inside seconds later. And still, the earth continued to quiver, quaking as if it were caught in throes of a violent storm. Sakaki's eyes grew wide with fear when he suddenly heard the sound of a thousand birds chirping and remembered it was the same sound he had heard just before his face was burned to a crisp. As Kakashi stepped forward to meter out his own brand of judgment upon the crimson bandit on the ground before him a shout rang out stopping him.

"Enough Kakashi-Sensei, it is not your job to discipline my men for their crimes, but mine! I know what happened and that scum before you I can assure will be punished. So I'm asking you to stand down and let me take care of this matter."

Kakashi was literally shaking with rage and was poised to deliver a killing blow to Sakaki with his Chidori, as he listened to Naruto. After a moment, he exhaled a deep breath and deactivated his trademark jutsu before turning towards Naruto and saying in an icy tone of voice.

"Alright Naruto, I will let you handle this matter. You say you know what happened, so I'm trusting in you that this pig will get the punishment he so richly deserves!"

"Your trust will not be misplaced Kakashi-Sensei." Brushing past his former teacher, the Jinchuuriki glared balefully into the fear stricken eyes of the once handsome bandit.

"Mark my words he will pay for what he has done!" Naruto declared with a grin that would peel flesh from bone.

Kakashi blinked.

"By the way Naruto, you've been referring to me as Kakashi-Sensei."

"Grrrrrr, don't get use to it Kakashi-sen…Hatake!" Naruto growled with irritation, before suddenly grasping Sakaki by his hair and began dragging the wailing man to the center of the encampment with Kakashi following close behind.

Most of the people still residing in the camp had gathered forming a large circle in its center and looked on with confusion as Naruto arrived and threw Sakaki unceremoniously to the ground before standing over him with a murderous look to his eyes. Just as he was about to say something, Naruto paused and looked to the air around him. At this same time, all the other Konoha shinobi rose and looked about in scrutiny.

Suddenly, the air in the center of the circle shimmered for a moment, rippling much like the disturbed surface of the lake. For a moment there was silence, before a voice rang out seemingly from nowhere.

"Naruto-sama, we have returned!"

The air then split apart of its own accord and black nothingness stretched apart from it, revealing the host of that voice.

Shunsui couldn't have had better timing, as he stepped through the portal and presented himself before Naruto. Then, one by one a series of portals began emerging from the air around them, as all the people began backing up and creating an even larger circle. Next to arrive was Kenpachi Zaraki with a cheerful Yachiru sitting upon his left shoulder and Nel on his right. For some reason or another, both girl's seemed particularly cheerful today, more so than usual. Nelliel smile shone like the setting sun when she laid eyes upon her surrogate father, as she leapt off of Kenpachi and cried out.

"Naru-kun!"

Naruto, was unprepared for this and nearly toppled backward from the glommed attack, but kissed his adopted daughters cheek and hugged her fiercely. Happy reunions such as this were occurring everywhere, as the entire Crimson bandit army returned from their training and was greeted by their loved ones. Sakaki saw that everyone's attention was no longer upon him and attempted to sneak away before a zanpaktou was leveled at his throat and he gazed up into the onyx-colored eyes of a grinning Sasuke who was shaking his head at the man.

As Naruto's gaze swept over the emerging army, the last notable figure stepped out of the blackness. Her hair was no longer held back in the topknot as before, rather, flowed freely down her back. Indeed, the ragged state of her outfit left little to the imagination of the men.

"Yoruichi." Naruto nodded curtly, bracing himself, half expecting the tan goddess to glide over to him and say something inappropriate.

She did not.

It was then that Naruto noticed that she _did _glide over and loop an arm in Shunsui's, before she kissed him on his cheek.

"Hmmm?"

Despite himself, Naruto blinked, unable to hide his relief and amusement, before a stern voice called out.

"So, kid, ready for that rematch? I Wanna find out if I'm stronger than you now?" Kenpachi asked while grinning broadly.

Despite himself, the ex-shinobi blanched.

"N-Not right now, we have other matters that need to be dealt with." Naruto answered a bit too hastily, as he pointed towards Sakaki lying prone on the ground with Sasuke's zanpaktou still pressed to his throat.

Zaraki's one visible eye narrowed upon gazing at that scene, as he took note of Sakaki's new facial appearance and of the young man wielding a zanpaktou that he easily recognized from the past. He then noticed the crowd that had assembled to watch everything unfold. Turning his attention back to Naruto he asked with curiosity.

"Alright, what the hell's going on here? What's with Sakaki's new look and who are all of these new people here? I can sense they're all pretty strong, especially my fellow one-eyed counterpart with the silver hair and the kid with Renji's zanpaktou."

"As to who all of these new people are, I'll explain everything to you later Zaraki. Right now just consider them my guests and treat them accordingly. As to Sakaki's new appearance and how he came to obtain it, that shall be explained right now. Everyone step back, as the trial of Sakaki Hitoshi is about to commence!"

Naruto then ushered Nel to go sit with Hinata, as he had grown up stuff to do. The little Arrancar nodded her head and kissed his cheek before racing over and jumping up into Hinata's arms with a joyful shout of "Hina-chan." Hinata then began to give introductions to all of the confused Konoha contingent of people around her.

"Trial, what's going on? I sent Sakaki back over several hours ago to inform you that we would be returning so you could prepare a celebration for us." Kenpachi stated with confusion.

"Well, he _didn't _inform us and instead used his time to attack and attempt to _rape _two women within the camp including one of my guests." Naruto calmly replied.

"WHAT?" Kenpachi roared out with fury.

"K, Kenpachi-sama!" Sakaki wailed aloud fearing for his life and prostrated himself before his former leader the instant he was released.

"Please, forgive me my lord Zaraki, please help me!" Sakaki pleaded in terror. Those pleas ended outright when the tip of Zaraki's blade pricked his throat.

"Shut up you worm, you may be one of my lieutenants, but if I find out these charges are true, I'll kill you myself!" Zaraki spat with righteous fury.

"I can assure you they're true Zaraki. Let's get this over with, Sakaki you are charged with assault and attempted rape of Yuuhi Kurenai and Ayame Soto, how do you plead? Naruto asked with contempt.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" Daisuke roared out with vengeance, as he strode forward through the crowd of bandits brandishing a massive double-bladed axe, the sight of which caused his fellows to swiftly give him a wide berth.

Daisuke disregarded the cries of panic coming from Sakaki that his presence elicited from the disfigured man. Sakaki skittered backward while drawing a dagger in an attempt to put some distance between himself and the raging muscleman marching towards him. Daisuke cast his former comrade a murderous glare, while swinging the titanic weapon he held with one hand, its hulking handle gleaming in the fading evening light, a veritable blur of twirling in his palm as if it weighed no more than a feather.

The expression he wore went far beyond mere anger. No, this was the most unholy of rages, feared by all, rival to none. And it was reincarnated in the form of Daisuke. For there was no greater force in this world or the next than a man fighting for the sake of his family. The fact that Sakaki, his most hated rival had attempted to rape Ayame had sealed this man's death as far as he was concerned, as he stated with no remorse.

"Naruto-sama forgive me, but there is no need for a trial, as this dog will die here and now!"

"_**ENOUGH!"**_

Both men paused, wincing as a killer intent loomed over them, the cold steel marking their throats an instant later. Somehow, with his own life mere inches from being swept away, Daisuke found his voice.

"N-Naruto-sama! I-

"I said, that is _enough_." Naruto ordered with authority, as his right hand clasped Daisuke massive axe, while his left remained curled into a tight fist about Sakaki's dagger his body positioned firmly between the two. As the new leader of the Crimson bandits separated the two men from the folds of his sleeves, a pair of long, razor thin blades extended and they were the cause for the discomfort of both men.

One pricked at Sakaki's throat, while its partner was centimeters away from doing the same to Daisuke. Now, Naruto brought the full weight of his glare upon his trusted lieutenant and angrily stated.

"You, of all people, should know better than to start a battle here, I expected better of you Daisuke."

"But I...I!"

"I said be silent! You are to kill no one unless I give the order got it?" Shamefaced, the strongman clamped shut his jaw and hung his head before submissively answering.

"Understood...sir."

Daisuke then cast his former comrade a glare, but remained still, as per ordered, though his hands gripped the massive axe with enough force to bleed.

"And as for you. Sakaki." Naruto spat as he slowly turned towards the crimson bandit and with a slight motion pressed the wrist blade tighter into the man's throat, drawing thin rivulets of blood, which caused Sakaki to immediately drop his dagger.

"If you have anything to say in your defense before I pass judgment, you'd best state your case now, before you lose your head and your voice along with it."

"M-My case?" Sakaki was at a loss for words.

"Yes, your case. Surely you have some reason for attacking these women that you can defend yourself with."

Something about the way he smiled when he said it suggested that Naruto had absolutely no doubts as to whether these accusations against Sakaki were false.

"I...I..." Sakaki stammered with fright.

Naruto retracted his blade, the thin dagger sliding harmlessly back into the sheath strapped to his wrist. Sakaki had been watching that hand so intently that he never saw the right hook coming, until it slammed into his lower jaw with devastating results.

The soon to be ex-lieutenant of Zaraki Kenpachi tumbled backwards, landing on his butt in a humiliating fashion.

"I see." Naruto nodded sagely, calmly walking to where Sakaki lay groaning.

"You're completely useless after all, aren't you? A petty man filled only with worthless lust and ambition, with no moral code whatsoever."

"N-No!"

"Oh?" Naruto replied, as he smiled pleasantly before rolling his shoulders in a carefree shrug, as he crouched down to Sakaki's level and revealed a small Rasengan swirling in the palm of his hand.

"Then what you're saying is Kurenai-Sensei must have _imagined_ you trying to rape her. And when that didn't work out you went after Ayame-san and I guess she _imagined_ her attack as well, hmmm?"

"Th-That was-

"Wrong." Naruto interrupted a bit too cheerily and the Rasengan began grow in his hand, before he continued on.

"I suppose I should have given you the warning I gave Daisuke about pissing me off. It certainly proved its effectiveness with him. But then again, you don't have anyone you cherish now do you? Probably why you tried to commit rape in the first place, huh?"

With a keening wail, Sakaki was hauled to his feet. Now held by the throat, it was all the traitorous bandit could do just to breathe, let alone plead for clemency from his superior. And still, the Rasengan crept toward his face, its white hot chakra threatening to scorch the already charred skin clear from Sakaki's face altogether.

"M-My lord please! Mercy! MERCY!"

But Sakaki could tell by the look in Naruto's eyes that they held no mercy for the man. Looking about he spotted his most loyal servant Mako, a man who had pledged to give his very life since birth in service to the Hitoshi family and more specifically to Sakaki himself. Seeing his master signal him, Mako subtlety raised his crossbow towards Naruto's back. No one noticed this, as everyone's attention was focused solely upon Sakaki and Naruto save for one person…..Ino Yamanaka. Seeing where the weapon was pointed Ino in a panic performed the Kawarimi no Jutsu and substituted herself in place of Naruto just as Mako fired the arrow.

Unexpectedly, a confused Naruto suddenly found himself standing next to Hinata and the others all of them bearing a look of sheer horror on their faces. Turning quickly around Naruto stood in shock as he saw Ino standing where he had been, but she now sported an arrow protruding from her chest. She turned her head and cast a weak smile at Naruto, before she fell to the ground in a heap. It was at that moment that all Hell broke loose.

"Seize that man!" Kenpachi ordered, as several Crimson bandits pounced upon Mako and wrestled him to the ground. Meanwhile, Naruto, Hinata, and the others raced over to Ino in a panic. Kneeling down with tears welling in his eyes, Naruto cradled Ino's body against his and growled out both in anger and sadness.

"Ino-chan you little fool! Why did you have to go and do that? It would take more than just an arrow in the back to take me down. Hinata-chan, you and the others take Ino-chan into the medical tent at once. I will join you there shortly."

Hinata nodded and she and Kurenai along with several other people including Ayame rushed off with Ino. Kakashi and Sasuke remained behind with interest to see what Naruto would do next. They didn't have to wait long as Mako was dragged before the blonde-haired Jinchuuriki. Naruto shot an icy glare to Sakaki who was still being held in place and asked with malevolence ringing in his voice.

"Who is this man?"

"His, his name is Mako, he's my servant and has pledged his life to protect me." Sakaki stammered with defiance.

"Then his is a wasted life to protect an insect like you and his life is now forfeit to….me! All women and children need to leave this area now. All the men are to stay and watch what happens when you hurt one of my precious people."

After a moment all the women and children that had been present were now gone from the area.

Naruto then gripped Mako by his neck and held him high in the air, as red chakra erupted from his hand and set the man ablaze. Mako would have screamed in agony except his vocal cords were the first thing to be burned away as he flailed about desperately trying to escape from Naruto's death grip. Alas, it was to no avail, as Mako soon stopped struggling and after a couple of minutes he was nothing more than a pile of ashes at Naruto's feet.

The Crimson bandit leader then turned his attention back to Sakaki who had soiled himself after seeing his servant killed so brutally. Naruto was about to administer the same justice to Sakaki when an arm gripped his stopping him and a voice called out to him.

"Naruto-sama, please do not defile your hands by dealing with such an insignificant scum as this man before you. I ask that you let me deal with this gutless pig, as I've had a long standing issue with him for many years." Daisuke humbly asked.

Naruto looked Daisuke directly in the eye for any sense that he would not be able to deal with this wretch held before him. Noting the determined look in Daisuke's eyes and the dedication in his voice, Naruto nodded his acceptance and replied.

"Very well Daisuke, tomorrow morning you shall enact the punishment for this worm. Until then take him to the prison pit and post a guard of your choosing to watch over this animal for the night."

"By your command Naruto-sama."

As Naruto watched Daisuke and a few other men drag Sakaki away he took notice of Shunsui and asked.

"Report on the training."

"Casualties were minimal, all in all only five of the men were unable to endure the training. They were disposed of when they lost their minds and tried to kill their comrades. If I may be so bold, I believe that the remainder has far exceeded our expectations. I dare say that a handful of them are almost at Lieutenant level strength including Daisuke and possibly Sakaki."

"Then it should be an excellent battle we're treated to in the morning."

Naruto then cast a quick glance over some of his men. A few of them had wild grins in place of the terrified looks of horror they'd worn prior to their training, while others wore more melancholy expressions. Some refused to even look Naruto in the eye, which was good. They'd all gone through the training, and realized just what they were up against.

Now it just remained to be seen whether or not they would remain sane.

But one was different. One caught his eye. One of the men wore a look, not of irritation or melancholies, but of...complacency. His emerald green eyes leveled with Naruto's cerulean colored eyes and refused to break away, as the other's had done. That, and his hand had never once left the dull green hilt of his sword.

_'Interesting.'_ Naruto thought to himself.

"You there." Naruto raised a finger towards his fellow blond. "Tell me your name."

"Kira Izuru, _sir." _There was an uncharacteristic bite in the man's words, something that intrigued Naruto even further. What could this man possibly have against him, what could he have done, to make this one hate him so? Indeed, the hate was tangible. Then he saw the reason, the reason for Izuru's burning stare. There, standing behind Kira, as if to hide, barely even noticeable amongst the hulking bandits, _was a girl._

She was a tiny little thing, her hair bound back into a bun, her skin fair and soft, suggesting she had yet to see the field of battle. She stole a glance up at Naruto, then hastily looked away, and for good reason. Her hand tightly gripped Kira's wrist, as if she were sole factor preventing him from lashing out at Naruto for his actions.

"Shunsui," Naruto began slowly, exchanging a glance with the former Gotei 13 Captain, who, as if he were actually aware of his superior's burning glare, turned his attention towards the couple.

"Who is this girl? I don't remember her being with the main group when you set out. In fact, she appears to be entirely out of place here altogether."

"She's a…. young blonde man began, but Shunsui raised a hand toward the youth.

"Kira please, I am at fault for this. Allow me to explain myself."

"Please." Naruto waved a hand impatiently and added.

"I haven't got all day."

"Her name is Hinamori Momo." Shunsui relented.

"We, we...picked her up during our travels."

"Ah, well then, _that_ explains quite a bit, doesn't it?" Naruto stated with sarcasm, before adding.

"Nevermind, you can explain her presence to me later. I'm needed elsewhere at the moment."

Naruto then shushin'd away followed by Kakashi and Sasuke. This left both Shunsui and Kenpachi to silently wonder just what had happened to Naruto while they were away.

* * *

Kiba held the message in his trembling hands as he read it. Delivered by messenger falcon shortly after Hana's departure, these handwritten words were sharper than any blade and had struck at the very core of his being with terrifying force. Now, there was no doubting Hana's words, the order was perfectly clear and now official.

_**Attention all Konoha shinobi,**_

_**By order of Lady Tsunade, the kill order for Uzumaki Naruto has hereby been rescinded, and reduced to a capture order. He is to be brought back **_**alive **_**at any and all costs, preferably unharmed if at all possible. Under no circumstances is he to be killed. Disobeying this order will be tantamount to treason.**_

_**Tsunade Senju, The Godaime Hokage.**_

Defiant, Kiba crumpled the paper into his hand and tore it to shreds before Sakura could catch sight of it, uncaring of the questioning looks he received in turn.

"What did it say?"

"Nothing." Kiba replied, lying through his teeth and hoping that Sakura would buy into it, as a show of frustration.

"Just that Akamaru won't be coming back and that they can't afford to supply us with anymore tracking dogs, that's all."

"O-Oh." Her face fell at his words and for just a moment, Kiba swore he saw a thin smile stretch across the face of Sakura who then asked.

"Well, then what should we do now that we can't track Naruto?"

"Go after that bastard! What else?"

"And how do you plan on finding him?" Sakura said with irritation and disgust of the Inzuka's behavior and seemed to have sided with Tazuna and Inari on this matter, for her expression suggested nothing less than outright disbelief before she added.

"We _can't _track him without Akamaru."

"Heh." Kiba surprised everyone by straightening out of his crouch and smirking proudly, as he boasted.

"I may only be human, but an Inuzuka's nose is just as good as Akamaru's! Who do you think trained him all these years?"

Sakura sweat-dropped and silently thought to herself

'_Why does that not reassure me?'_

* * *

**Author Notes: **A late Holiday gift for everyone, I hope you will enjoy it. I wish to thank everyone both old and new readers who took the time to review my last chapter. For those of you who did review, you all had a lot to say about it and I'm pleased that this story has such a strong fan base with readers who actually write out well thought-out reviews. Because of that, I enjoy reading many of your reviews, so please leave lots of them, as they do help a writer get a sense of the thoughts and opinions of the fans of a story. They also can help lift the spirits of an author as well. Also, to any readers who are staff members to any C2 communities, please feel free to add my story to your community if you feel it is worthy of it. I won't mind, I swear. I'll even pinkie swear if I need to?

**_News:_**

Recently, I've alerted my readers to a couple of polls set up on each of their accounts by the fine authors brown phantom and Zentary asking the question. And I could really use your help on one them that is about to end.

**Who is the best Naruto fanfic writer on this site?**

Zentary's poll has remained open and is still active.

Regrettably, brown phantom has ended his poll on this question. However, he has started a new poll asking,

**Which is the best Naruto fan fiction story on this site?**

So I humbly ask if you feel I'm worthy of being one of your 10 author picks to please place a vote for me in Zentary's poll. And if you feel my story "Naruto vs. Sasuke: The Aftermath" or any of my stories are worthy of being voted for in brown phantom's new poll, please place a vote for them. I thank you in advance for your support and normally I would provide you the links to the profile pages for both brown phantom and Zentary. However, one of the "oh so wonderful" changes FFnet has recently made is making it more difficult to list a link anywhere even if it's a link on their own freaking site. So just do a quick search for the authors, brown phantom and Zentary.

***Of note, brown phantom recently informed me that "Naruto vs. Sasuke The Aftermath" currently sits in 11th place on his poll. Now I'm not so arrogant to think I should be number one, but I do believe that my story is at least deserving of a Top 10 ranking. So please help me out if you can by voting for it. brown phantom is ending the poll in three days, so I could really use everyone's help to vote if you would be so kind, thanks.**

**Sadly, this story was in 40th place. **

**_End of News:_**

* * *

Thanks for your support of this story and take it easy!

_**Kingkakashi **_


	27. New Relationships Emerge

**Do I Have A Purpose Anymore?  
**

**Chapter 27: "New Relationships Emerge"**

***Warning* Be advised this chapter does contain some mature content.**

As the sun rose the next morning, it would be the last sunrise the bandit Sakaki would ever see.

For his battle with Daisuke for his very life had not gone as he expected. For while Sakaki had trained diligently the past two weeks in Yoruichi's realm, which would be equal to about six months of hard training in this realm in the use of kido. He had ignored for the most part also training in the use of weapons. The arrogant bandit had assumed it would be easier to take down an enemy from a distance using kido spells, rather than dirty his hands from actual fighting. Unfortunately, Sakaki had failed to take into account that it takes time to bring forth the power and speak the incantations needed to unleash a kido spell onto an enemy. And Daisuke was not allowing him that time, as his fellow bandit had descended upon Sakaki in an instant the moment their fight began.

Sakaki barely had time to duck Daisuke's initial strike and had spent the majority of the battle running and dodging the physical attacks of the massive axe his opponent relentlessly unleashed upon him. And while Daisuke had spent more time training in the use of weapons and hand to hand combat. Unlike his opponent he had not neglected also training in the use of kido. So when the few times that Sakaki had actually been able to let loose a kido attack, Daisuke knew enough defensive kido counter-spells to render the attack useless. It was one of those counter-spells that had exploded on contact with his kido attack that had knocked Sakaki to the ground, where he lay unmoving, as Daisuke slowly stalked towards him twirling his axe as he approached.

Sakaki realized he had only one chance to win this fight and that would be to play dead until Daisuke was close enough to strike. Concealing a dagger inside of his shirt sleeve, he waited patiently for his opponent to arrive. When he saw Daisuke raise his axe with one arm to cleave his foe's head, Sakaki saw his chance for a hit and suddenly exploded off the ground and thrust his arm forward, expecting to drive his dagger straight threw Daisuke's chest. However, Sakaki was stunned at the speed and strength of Daisuke when the Crimson Blade bandit's most famous axe-man grabbed hold of his wrist, effectively stopping his blade from traveling any farther. Sakaki's eyes widened when he realized what was about to happen, but it was too late for him to do anything about his mistake.

Pain, intense, mind numbing pain that was the first thought that came to Sakaki as he looked down and saw the massive axe buried in his chest. His head slumped forward as he felt his lung start to fill with blood. Grabbing Daisuke's arm to support himself, his vision started to go dark around the edges. He stood motionless, his chakra plummeting dangerously as it took all his effort just to stay standing. In his mind, he heard laughing.

It was Daisuke.

Slowly, the strongman gripped his axe high above him, as he said with no remorse.

"Ja ne, Sakaki-teme_."_

An instant later Daisuke brought his weapon down in a murderous arc and cleaved Sakaki into two halves from the top of his head to his crotch.

"Well, that was an entertaining fight Shunsui." Naruto commented with mirth, as he watched the two halves of the now eviscerated Sakaki fall away from one another in bloody heap, while Daisuki calmly wiped Sakai's blood from his axe blade.

"Indeed, as I told you before, Daisuke is nearly as strong as a high ranking lieutenant and has benefited greatly from the training."

"Good, he'll need to be, because I don't know how strong the followers of the Akatsuki are?"

"If you have no more need of me Naruto-sama, I have some other matters to attend to."

"Actually I do have need of you, as I would like you to answer some questions I have about yesterday."

A nod from the former Gotei 13 Captain, indicated his acceptance.

"First who was that blonde man glaring daggers at me yesterday, what's his story?"

"His name is Kira Izuru and he's a former lieutenant of the Gotei 13 guard of the Soul Society."

"So he's a former Soul Reaper like you."

"Hai, he is. We found him and the young girl you saw with him when we traveled to Yoruichi's special realm for the training. Her name is Hinamori Momo and like Kira she to is a former lieutenant within the Gotei 13 guard. Remember when I told you about the Shinigami/Arrancar war we fought 400 years in the future."

"I remember Shunsui."

"Then you remember that in the final battle of the war the Shinigami and the Arrancar released all of our powers out once at one another. The resulting explosion ripped a hole through the fabric of time and space, which resulted in all of the combatants being flung throughout the history of time. And while we thought that only old man yama, myself, and Yoruichi-chan were each thrown into this time period, It appears that the both of them had been as well."

"What's his problem with me?"

"I talked to Kira last night and the reason he got so mad is mainly because of your display yesterday in dealing with Sakaki's servant Mako, it scared Momo,… you scare Momo."

"That's it, that's his problem with me!"

"Well in all fairness, you can be a scary guy."

"So because I scare his little girlfriend, he's pissed off at me."

"It's a little more complicated than that and it's not a boyfriend girlfriend relationship between Kira and Momo, but more of a pseudo older brother little sister dynamic."

"Explain?" Naruto questioned.

"From my conversation with Kira when he found Momo many years ago, she was on the verge of dying. She was sickly, malnourished, and had basically loss the will to live."

"Why?"

"You remember I said the Shinigami/Arrancar war was started by a former captain of the 5th Division in the Gotei 13, his name was Sosuke Aizen and Momo was his first lieutenant. Sosuke's betrayal of the Soul Society hit her the hardest, as she greatly admired and perhaps even loved the man. Even after his betrayal, Momo continued to believe in Sosuke's innocence. It wasn't until he used her as a human shield from an attack by another Gotei 13 Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya that Momo finally understood what treacherous man her former captain truly was. Toshiro was a lifelong friend of Momo's and she had to watch as Sosuke killed him in a similar fashion, as to what you did to Mako. What you did brought back those unpleasant memories for her and that's why you scared her."

"Hmmm, well there's nothing I can do about that now. Perhaps I did go a bit...overboard in dealing with Mako, but I wanted to send a message to everyone of the consequences of harming one of my precious people. Is she or Kira going to cause me problems in the future?"

"No, I've spoken to both and explained about the battle that is approaching and the reasons behind it. They agree that it is for a noble cause to free a nation and only wish to help you accomplish that."

"Are they going to be of any use in the battle?"

"Hai Naruto-sama, they will be of great use. I would suggest assigning Kira to the Medical Corp Platoon, as he is a skilled healer and fighter in case that squad were to come under enemy fire. As for Momo, I would assign her as a lieutenant to a strong frontline combat squad under a powerful captain. She may not look it, but she's a skilled fighter and her zanpaktou can unleash some powerful fire attacks."

"Fire attacks you say, I think I know exactly who and where she should be assigned, whether the teme likes it or not. Naruto stated with a smirk before adding.

"Alright Shunsui, you've done well for me these past few weeks, thank you and you may go."

"Before I take my leave Naruto-sama, I wish to explain about Yoruichi and I, well…it's…complicated. Yoruichi and I have known each other for a very long time, before either of us joined the Gotei 13. We trained together at the academy and we accomplished so much even before we joined the divisions, and when you live as long as we do, you have a different timetable. Your 'I'll confess my feelings for her tomorrow' turns into something that needs done by next week, then next year, then a decade from then…sometimes centuries."

Shunsui paused a moment in reflective contemplation before he continued on.

"As I said, we've known each other for many centuries and there always was a certain,…..sexual tension between us. Working together in such close proximity to one another while training your Crimson army…..our baser instincts just took hold of us one night. We thought it would just be a onetime thing, but when we awoke in the morning, we both discovered something neither one of us thought we were capable of or possessed within us. "

"What was that?" Naruto asked with interest.

"We discovered genuine feelings of love for each other."

"That must have been a shock to the both of you."

"It was, as both of us had always lived our lives with wild abandon, free-spirited with carefree emotions, and always alone. I had thought my past feelings for her had disappeared long ago, but apparently they hadn't, because now the thought of my life without her in it….troubles me greatly, and Yoruichi expressed similar sentiments to me. I know before we left that Yoruichi had conveyed her feelings towards you. Naruto-Sama, I did not if you had any feelings for her before we left on the training mission, but if you do then I deeply apologize for what has happened."

"There's nothing to apologize for, I'm actually grateful that you took her off of my hands. I've already got enough women who are inexplicably thrusting their way into my life, I don't need another. So long as you two are happy together, then I wish the both of you well."

"Thank you." Shunsui politely said, while bowing in respect.

"Now as you, I to have other matters to attend to so you may go Shunsui. Just make sure all the people I instructed you to gather earlier are at that meeting this afternoon."

"It shall be done."

* * *

As Naruto walked into the medical tent, he spied Hinata helping Ino to drink a cup of water and a small smile spread across his face in relief. Making his way over he asked.

"So doctor, I take it the patient is going to make it?"

"Hai Naru-kun, fortunately the arrow missed hitting any vital organs, so Ino-chan will be back to full strength again in a day or so."

"Well that's good to hear. Now, just what the hell were you thinking to Kawarimi with me and taking that arrow?"

"I, I wasn't thinking." Ino stuttered in defense.

"You got that right!"

A stern glare from Hinata was leveled onto Naruto, as she walked away to give the two some privacy. Naruto merely sighed with frustration at the look he received from Hinata. before he heard Ino say.

"I, I, meant I didn't think about it, it was just a reflex because I, I, didn't want you to be…..hurt." Ino stated in a soft voice, before she stammeringly asked.

"Do, do you still hate me Naruto-ku….Naruto."

"Why would you ask me that?"

"Do you remember the last time we saw one another?"

Naruto grimaced a bit, as that memory came flooding back into his mind.

**(Flashback 1 year ago) **

Naruto hadn't even bothered to change out of his blood-stained Anbu uniform after reporting to Tsunade and dropping off the report of his latest successful mission. No, the minute he had left the Hokage's office, he had found the nearest bar and purchased a bottle of very high proof sake for himself. As Naruto sat on a bench atop Hokage Mountain, all he wanted to do was get drunk and watch the setting sun…alone. Unfortunately, Kami had other plans for him, as the sound of voices from six people all of whom were out on a triple date came walking down the path towards him. It wasn't until they got within 20 feet of Naruto that they saw him causing the entire group to stop in their tracks. As the entire group stared at Naruto and he back at them, it was Sasuke who broke the uneasy silence.

"Hey dobe, long time no see."

"Hn." Was Naruto's only response, as he took another swig from the sake bottle. Naruto's cold reply and the icy disinterested look he directed towards all of them unnerved the Uchiha a bit, before he said.

"I, I heard you've been doing a lot of Anbu missions lately, did you just get back from one?"

"Yeah." Naruto answered in the same unemotional and cold tone of voice, taking another drink from the bottle.

A pall of uneasy silence gripped the atmosphere around the seven people like a death shroud. Sakura, Kiba, and Shikamaru shifted on their feet nervously, while Hinata and Ino couldn't even look at Naruto and kept their heads bowed down in shame and remorse. After a minute, once again it was Sasuke who spoke up to break the oppressive tension of the moment.

"Well, we just came up here to watch the sunset, before all of us were going out to dinner. Why don't you join us and we can catch up."

Upon hearing Sasuke's invitation, Naruto slammed the remaining sake from his bottle, before rising from the bench and casually throwing the empty bottle over his shoulder, the sound of breaking glass not bothering him at all, as he leveled a hard glare at the group of people standing before him. Naruto then spat on ground, before he reached around and grabbed his Anbu mask. As Naruto fit the featureless blood red colored mask over his face, his eyes momentarily glowed red through the eyelets of the mask, as a brief amount of massive killing intent flared from him, before he disappeared in flash of yellow light. While the six remaining people attempted to calm themselves down from the momentary glare and killing intent Naruto had leveled upon them. After a minute, Sasuke once again broke the silence and asked in confusion.

"What the hell was that about, what's wrong with the dobe?"

"Did you guy's see that mask?" Kiba asked in a tense tone of voice.

"We saw it, I just had no idea it was Naruto who wore it." Shikamaru uncomfortably replied.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke questioned.

"That's the mask the Anbu operative codenamed Crimson wears…Naruto is the Crimson Anbu."

A troubled and muted silence seemed to envelope the group, as all of them had heard about the Crimson Anbu. The man who had successfully completed more A and S class missions and had killed more enemy shinobi within one year than most Anbu would accomplish within their entire careers. A feeling of guilt began to well inside everyone after seeing Naruto save for Kiba because he didn't care and Sasuke because he didn't know, that the people around him were the cause to turn their once happy, kind, and friendly comrade into the most ruthless and efficient Anbu operative the Leaf village had ever seen.

**(End of Flashback)**

"I remember Ino." Naruto replied in a grim voice.

"I remember it to. I remember the hate you directed upon all of us and I knew I was responsible for that hate. So that's why I asked the question do you still hate me Naruto?"

Naruto exhaled a heavy sigh, before he answered.

"It wasn't hate Ino that I showed towards all of you that evening. Anger yes, but not hate. I was angered by Sasuke's casual invitation towards me, as if we were still friends. As if I was still friends with all of you. It never occurred to me that he still didn't know what the rest of you had done to me. I thought he knew and just didn't care seeing as he was still with Sakura and associating with the rest of you. So don't shoulder all of the responsibility Ino of my….reaction towards all of you that night. Save for Sasuke, the rest of you held equal shares in the rage I felt upon seeing all of you happily carrying on without a care in the world. As it was so opposite of where my life was at that time that I let my anger get the better of me."

"You still haven't answered my question."

"I've never hated you Ino, I've never hated any of you. Why I don't know considering the betrayals all of you willingly committed against me, but for some bizarre reason I never felt any hate towards any of you."

"Are you still angry with me."

"I'll admit, I was angry with you…..with all of you for a very long time. However, I knew I couldn't let myself drown in my rage or it was going to cost me my life as an Anbu. So I had to let go of that anger to let go of all of my emotions to survive. So no, I don't hold any anger towards you, towards any of you anymore."

"What do you feel about all of us….about me Naruto?"

"Before I left the village, my only feelings for all of you was…indifference. Then Sakura had seek me out and apologize to me. It was that night that I realized that I hadn't let go of my anger, but had merely buried it deep within me. That's why I left the village, for if I could let Sakura trigger my rage to erupt, it might happen with any of you."

"I don't understand, you say you left the village because of the rage you still felt, but now you don't hold any anger towards me or anyone else anymore. What happened between the night you left the village and now." Ino asked in confusion.

"What happened was fate or Kami delivered Nel-chan to me and that little girl began to crack the wall I had built around my heart before I even knew what was happening. Then Yugito-chan followed shortly after and being around her the crack in the wall grew further. Finally Hina-hime came back into my life and I learned the truth behind her perceived betrayal on my part. And though it took me some time to come to grips with the sacrifice Hinata had made. Eventually the love she holds for me brought that wall around my heart crumbling down. It's the love all three of them have shown me since I left the village that finally allowed me to truly let go of my anger and not just bury it. That's why I can honestly say to you Ino that I no longer hold any anger towards you anymore."

"I'm glad you're no longer angry with me, but can you tell me what you do feel about me now? Because I, I love Naruto-kun, I never stopped loving you these past two years and I know now that I don't want to live a life without you in it. Ino softly asked, as a tear rolled down her cheek.

Naruto sighed before sitting by her bedside and took the blonde kunoichi's hand into his own and said.

"I know you have feelings for me and I'll admit I still have feelings for you, but I still feel the pain of what you promised you would never do to me…..but did."

"I know I hurt you Naruto-kun and if I could go back in time two years to that awful night that I betrayed your love to change that I would."

"I believe you Ino-chan, but it's hard for me to forgive you after what you did. In a way, your betrayal was the worst of all after what Sakura did to me and then losing Hinata-chan. I put all of my faith and trust into the love I felt for you and the love you said you felt for me. So when you left me as well, is a pain I'm scared of experiencing ever again, if I let you back into my life."

"I, I don't understand, you can forgive Hinata, but not me?" Ino asked in a choked voice, as fresh tears flowed down her face.

"I was able to forgive Hinata's betrayal because I learned the truth behind it, that she didn't have a choice but do what she did in order to save her sister. Your betrayal while I realize you deeply regret now was still one that you willingly chose to do. It wasn't forced upon you as it was with Hinata."

"You're right Naruto-kun, I was given a choice back then and I chose wrong, and I've hated myself for it ever since. As much as I want to blame Shikamaru for manipulating me, in the end I can't, as all he did was confess his feelings for me and ask me to choose."

Naruto grimaced a bit as the memory of seeing Ino and Shikamaru together that night flashed across his mind, before Ino's spoke once more in a sorrowful voice.

"I understand if you think you can never forgive me, as I've never forgiven myself for what I did to you. But please believe me when I say I swear to you I'm not lying when I say I love you. The only lie I have ever told you was two years ago when I said I didn't. This is why I'm out here, I love you Naruto-kun and I just want to be with you, if you will have me? "

"Ino-chan I can't, I'm with Hinata-chan now. I won't betray her like I was betrayed just to be with you. I could never do that to her, I'm sorry Ino-chan, even after what you did to me, I do still love you. Why I still do, I don't know, but what I do know is we can never be." Naruto sadly proclaimed, before rising and walking out of the tent passing Hinata as he went.

Hinata saw the tears streaming down Ino's face and went over to comfort her friend.

"Ino-chan what's wrong?"

"It's Naruto-kun; he says he still loves me."

"Then why are you so sad, you should be happy."

"I am happy that he still loves me, but he says we can never be because he's with you now."

"Oh, I see."

"I can't even be mad at him for it. He loves you and won't betray you like Sakura did to him. I don't why I even thought that there could be a relationship between Naruto and me after I learned about you two being back together. Naruto wouldn't be Naruto to do something like that. And truthfully I understand him completely because I would never do that to you either."

"We already talked about this, I told you I don't mind sharing Naru-kun because I know you love him and he loves you. I love you too and I want to see all of us happy. We just need to convince him that he can love us both and be happy."

"I love you too Hinata-chan, but I don't think we can convince Naruto-kun. He's loyal to you and you know as well as I do that loyalty is one of his strongest nindo's."

"I'll speak to him and if he's still being stubborn then we'll just have to show him how much we both love him and I've got just the idea on how to do that." Hinata stated with confidence, before leaning in and whispering into Ino's ear whose face blushed bright red, as she listened to the Hyuga girl speak.

* * *

Sasuke dropped to one knee exhausted and panting for breath. After watching one of Naruto's men brutally kill another in a trial by combat. Sasuke had decided he needed more training to unlock the second stage of his Bankai. Since he had witnessed Naruto achieve that feat yesterday, he had vowed not to let his surrogate brother surpass him in their zanpaktou training like he had in the shinobi arts. Plus Sasuke knew he would have to unlock the second stage if he had any chance to defeat Madara and avenge his clan. A snap of a twig alerted the Uchiha to the presence of someone else and he leapt up and growled out.

"I know you're out there, show yourself!"

It was then a young woman stepped hesitantly from behind a tree and approached Sasuke carrying a tray. She wore a dark robe and her raven-colored hair was pulled into a bun and held by a simple white tied cloth. She stopped in front of Sasuke and without looking up at him said in a timid voice.

"For-forgive me for disturbing you Uchiha-san, but Naruto-sama has assigned me as your first lieutenant for the upcoming battle against the Akatsuki should you agree to participate and ordered me to bring you some lunch."

"Ordered you huh, tell me exactly what did _Naruto-sama_ say?"

"Umm, well…."

"It's alright I promise you won't get in trouble. Just tell me what he said."

"Umm, he said take some lunch to the teme to replenish his strength before the emo-duckbutt collapses from trying to unlock his bankai."

"Hn, I see."

"Please, you won't say anything to Naruto-sama; you promised I wouldn't get into any trouble if I told you."

"I did promise that and an Uchiha keeps his word. No I won't say anything to _Naruto-sama_."

"Thank you Uchiha-san."

"What's your name girl?"

"Hinamori Momo, Uchiha-san"

"Please stop with the Uchiha-san, just call me Sasuke."

"O-ok Sasuke-san….I mean Sasuke."

"Well there appears to be quite a lot of food here, tell me have you eaten lunch yet Momo?"

"Umm no sir I haven't, but I shouldn't stay and bother you and I'm not hungry and…..grrrrrrrrr"

"Judging by the sound of your stomach growling I would say you are hungry. Please stay and join and me for lunch."

"I shouldn't sir."

"Not sir, just Sasuke. Besides you wouldn't want me to tell Naruto-sama that you refused a simple request just to share a lunch with me now would you?"

Momo chewed on the bottom of her lip as she silently debated what to do? Sasuke found the girl's nervousness and innocence rather cute and said with amusement.

"Well, if you're to be my first lieutenant, I would like for you to tell me about yourself and your fighting skills. I promise Momo, I don't bite. I just don't wish to dine alone and I would much rather have the company of a pretty girl while I eat.

Momo face blushed furiously at being called pretty, before she nodded her head in acceptance and both she and Sasuke sat down under the shade of tree. Staring at the young Uchiha the way he spoke and acted reminded her of her of Toshiro so long ago, which brought a small smile to her face.

* * *

Naruto watched intently as his command tent fill with the final members he had requested for this meeting. Once he saw everyone was there he cleared his throat and announced with conviction.

"Alright now that everyone is here I've decided we will be leaving in a few days to rescue Princess Yukia Fujikaze and liberate the Spring Country from the Akatsuki. As all of you know the Akatsuki are an organization consisting of S-Ranked criminals. Many of these are missing-nins who fled their villages after causing death and destruction."

"Oi, what's the goal of these guy's Naruto-sama?"

"Their goal Zaraki is they want to capture all the Jinchuuriki like me and extract their Bijuu from them. As some of you know, a Bijuu is a tailed beast demon within our bodies. The demons are known by the number of tails their body possesses. When the Bijuu is removed from the Jinchuuriki's body, the host dies. The Akatsuki have already captured and killed six Jinchuuriki while removing their Bijuu. The only remaining Jinchuuriki left are the Eight-Tails Hachibi held within Killer Bee, the Two-Tails Nibi within Yugito, and the Nine-Tails Kyuubi no Youko held within me."

"So what happens if these Akatsuki guys get a hold of you, Yugito, and this Killer Bee?"

"Simple Shunsui, our Bijuu will be removed and we will die and the power of all the tailed-beast demons will be unleashed on upon the planet. If that were to happen all of us will fall because there is no stopping such a power, which is why we need to eliminate the Akatsuki once and for all. I've already started the job by eliminating Sueigetsu, but I need everyone's help in this tent to finish off the rest of the Akatsuki members."

"What do you have planned?"

"What I have planned Yoruichi is this. Right now in this tent between you three Shinigami Captains and the three Jounin level shinobi sitting beside you, not to mention myself and Yugito as living Jinchuuriki. We now have enough people who can match all the remaining Akatsuki in strength and power. I propose to have select individuals take on specific Akatsuki members and remove them…permanently.

"Who will I be fighting? Remember, I only want to fight a strong opponent."

"Don't worry Zaraki, the opponents we will be facing are very strong and I'm sure will give you the fierce and bloody battle you crave for." Naruto assured the eye-patch wearing Shinigami before turning to his Konoha guests.

"To my former comrades of the Leaf village sitting before me, if you help me to destroy the Akatsuki once and for all, after it is over then I will return voluntarily with you to Konoha, but only to visit baa-chan. I make no promises about staying once I get there, do we have an agreement to those terms?"

Kakashi, Kurenai, and Sasuke all glanced at one another in contemplative thought before each them nodded their head in agreement. Kakashi then turned his attention back to Naruto and announced.

"We accept those terms Naruto; we'll help you to eradicate the Akatsuki."

"Arigato." Naruto replied, before bowing his head slightly in appreciation to them.

Naruto, we should work on a battle plan and strategies for this fight." Kakashi stated.

"I concur." Shunsui announced in agreement.

"I agree as well, which is why I sent a shadow clone to the Spring country a few days ago to gather as much Intel as he can before dispersing himself and sending all the information he learned back to me. He should arrive tomorrow in the Spring country."

"How can you maintain a shadow clone over such a great distance?" Kurenai asked in shock.

"I infused a little bit of Kurama's chakra into my clone, so he should last several days before that chakra eventually wears out."

"Who is Kurama?"

"Kurama is the true name of the Kyuubi no Youko Shunsui."

"And this Kyuubi will help you against the Akatsuki?"

"Yes, Kurama helped to defeat Madara in the Fourth Great Shinobi war and will help again. Now since all of you are going to be Platoon Commanders in this army. I'll leave it up to the six of you to decide who you want as your troops. Shunsui has reports on all of the strengths and weaknesses of the Crimson soldiers who completed the training. I'll join in a little bit to go over with you the reports on the men we'll be leading into battle. Right now I need to talk to Hinata about the Medical Platoon she'll be in charge of during the war."

* * *

A few minutes later Naruto entered the medical tent to look for Hinata. He saw Ino peacefully sleeping and deep down he was grateful she was going to be alright. However, the memory of their conversation earlier crept back into his mind. He hadn't meant to be harsh with her, but he wouldn't inflict the kind of pain onto Hinata that he had felt upon discovering Sakura's infidelity, just to be with Ino.

'_Kami it would be so much easier if I could just hate Ino-chan after what she did like any sane normal person would, instead of still harboring some feelings of love for her.'_ Naruto thought to himself in frustration.

"Naru-kun." A voice called out interrupting his thoughts.

"Oh hey Hina-hime, I just zoned out there for a moment, can we talk?"

"Of course, but let take a walk so as not to disturb Ino and the other patients." Hinata sweetly replied, before she signaled Ayame to watch over the patients while she was gone.

As the young couple walked around the outskirts of the encampment, holding hands and just enjoying the pleasant day, it was Naruto who finally spoke up and said.

"Hina-hime, I've decided to create a Medical Platoon to support the six Combat Platoons we'll be using in the war against the Madara and the Akatsuki. This Medical Platoon will handle the wounded of our forces and remain in the rear of the front-line to heal any casualties and get them back into the fight as quickly as they can. I've also decided that you will be the Commander of this Medical Platoon with Ino and a man named Kira Izuru will serve as your lieutenants and Daisuke's wife Ayame as your head nurse."

Hinata pulled away from Naruto and turning her back walked a few feet away with her arms crossed and was facing away from him. Naruto knew something was wrong and hesitantly called out to her and asked with concern.

"Hina-hime is everything alright?"

"I don't know Naru-kun, you tell me. Why did you exclude me from fighting? I want to help you to defeat your enemies, not sit idly by and watch you and my friends fight without me. Do you think I'm that weak and a burden to help you?" Hinata softly asked, the hurt she felt evident in her tone.

Naruto immediately enveloped Hinata in a tight hug surprising the lavender-eyed girl as he said with sincerity and assurance.

"No, no my hime, you've got it all wrong. I would never consider you weak or a burden. I need your skills as medic more than I need them on the front-line as fighter. There's going to be casualties from this battle Hinata-chan and you're the only one around who has any extensive medical training thanks to baa-chan Tsunade. The Akatsuki have gathered a lot of followers, which is why I needed the Crimson Bandits to fight them. But I care about them and I don't wish to just use them as fodder. So I need you and your amazing medical skills to help as many of them to survive this fight as you can. Please don't think you won't be serving an important role in this upcoming battle, because the truth of the matter is you will be serving one of the most critical roles of all, saving lives. Do you understand my hime?"

"Hai, I understand. I'm sorry; I just didn't want to be kept out of harm's way because I was considered weak." Hinata tearfully replied as she hugged the man she loved with all of her might.

"I would never think that about you...ever!"

After another minute of their loving embrace Naruto and Hinata finally broke apart from one another. Hinata then looked up to Naruto and asked.

"Naru-kun, can I talk to you about something?"

"What is it Hina-hime?"

"I want to talk to you about Ino-chan."

Naruto's face grimaced slightly upon hearing the subject Hinata wanted to talk about. Exhaling a heavy sigh, he stated with disappointment.

"We've already talked about Ino before. I really don't think there's anything left to say."

"I just want to ask you one question and if you answer me truthfully, then I'll never bring up the subject again. Will you do that for me?"

"Hai, I will do that for you. What is it you wish to ask?" Naruto answered with slight frustration in his voice.

"Do you still love Ino-chan?"

Naruto only looked to the ground and remained silent.

"Do you still love Ino-chan?" Hinata asked once more in growing annoyance at Naruto's lack of response. After another minute or two Hinata began to ask again before she was interrupted.

"Do you still love Ino-ch…."

"Yes, yes, is that what you want to hear Hina-hime? Yes I still love her, I don't know why after what she did to me, but I still do! But I also love you and we're together again, so it doesn't matter whether I still love Ino-chan or not or if she loves me. Nothing is going to make me stop loving you and wanting to be with you...forever. I would rather die than to hurt you in anyway, so anything between Ino-chan and me, it's in the past and will stay that way. Now I've answered your question hime, please don't bring this subject up again. Now I've got to go talk to the others about their respective platoons and the men they're choosing for their troops. I'll see you later on this evening, I love you." Naruto answered in pained exasperation before placing a chaste kiss on Hinata's cheek and quickly exiting from the tent.

Hinata sat down and closed her eyes in contemplative thought.

'_Oh Naru-kun I love you too and I appreciate your loyalty and devotion to me, but Ino-chan loves you as much as I do. I'm afraid you've left us no recourse, but to now show you how much we both love you.'_

* * *

Kakashi was quite tired when he entered his tent in the late evening. He had spent most of the day going over the reports on the men they would be leading into battle with Shunsui, Kenpachi, Sasuke, Kurenai, Yoruichi, and Naruto and they had successfully created six combat platoons that each of them would lead and one medical platoon that Hinata was in charge of with regards to their upcoming war against the Akatsuki. And the night before the silver-haired Jounin had volunteered for all-night guard duty of the camp, while the majority of the people had attended a celebration marking the return of the Crimson Bandits from their training.

Kakashi would have liked to have said his noble gesture to help keep the encampment safe was out of gratitude for the hospitality he had been given by its inhabitants when he arrived. However, the one-eyed Jounin knew that was a lie and that his real reason for _guard duty_ was in an effort to avoid Kurenai. The two had yet to speak to one another since Kakashi had rescued the Jounin kunoichi from being attacked the day before. A rescue to which Kurenai didn't seem very appreciative of considering her angry and physical response to Kakashi, which even now left him very confused and a little angry. So, the infamous Copy-nin had gotten very little sleep the past couple of days and was looking forward to a blissful night's rest. As Kakashi threw down his Jounin vest and stripped off his shirt, he reached for the buckle of his pants; before a pair of soft and slender arms encircled his torso from behind and embraced him tightly.

His shinobi warrior instinct kicking in, Kakashi abruptly shrugged the person hugging him off his back and whirled around with a kunai in his hand ready to do battle. Needless to say the silver-haired Jounin was stunned to see Kurenai land unceremoniously on her butt onto his bedroll, as the kunoichi groused while rubbing her backside.

"Not the greeting I was expecting Kakashi."

"Better than the one I received from you yesterday."

Kurenai winced upon hearing the angry pained tone of Kakashi's voice. Looking up towards the silver-haired Jounin, it broke Kurenai's heart to see him turn away from her and grab a canteen before taking a drink from it. Without turning around to gaze upon Kurenai, Kakashi asked in a slightly bitter voice.

"What do you want?"

"I, I wanted to say I'm sorry about what happened yesterday." The red-eyed kunoichi stammered, as contritely as she could.

"Hmph, sorry for what? I mean I guess I should be apologizing to you. Had I known I was interrupting something you wanted I never would have..."

**SLAP...!**

Kakashi wasn't able to finish what he was going to say before Kurenai had unleashed a vicious right-cross slap to the masked Jounin's face, while shouting with fury and tears welling in her eyes.

"Damn you, don't you dare joke or trivialize about what almost happened to me yesterday. It's a nightmare all kunoichi live in fear of and is in no way or shape funny!"

Kakashi instantly regretted his dismissive remark towards what had happened the day before. He immediately let go of the anger and hurt he had been feeling from Kurenai's response to his rescue and enveloped the Genjutsu mistress in a hug, while repentantly saying.

"You're right, it's not something to joke about or dismiss frivolously...I'm sorry Kurenai-chan"

Kurenai struggled for a moment when Kakashi had suddenly hugged her, but ceased upon hearing his remorseful apology and returned the copy-nin's embrace, while burying her face into the crook of his neck. Kakashi felt the tears that streamed from Kurenai's face fall upon his shoulder, before slowly rolling down his chest. The silver-haired Jounin also felt his body temperature begin to rise and the sweet fragrance of Kurenai's hair wafted up to his nose, as he stroked her back in comfort. Kurenai herself was also beginning to feel a bit heated upon realizing she was pressed up against Kakashi's naked well-toned muscular chest and torso. The musky scent his bare skin produced was almost overwhelming to the Leaf kunoichi, who reluctantly broke away from Kakashi grasp and gazed into his eyes while saying.

"Please believe me; I'm so sorry about how I reacted to you yesterday. I'm very grateful for what you did, even if I didn't properly show it."

"I don't understand Kurenai-chan, why did you react that way to me intervening? I wasn't expecting you to fall to your knees and bow to me in gratitude for what I did. But I also wasn't expecting a punch to the face for helping you either." Kakashi questioned, as he brushed a tear away from Kurenai's face with his thumb.

Kurenai's face blushed a bit as Kakashi brushed her tear away and she felt a bit flustered by the action and of his address of her with the suffix chan added to her name. Turning around in an attempt to hide her blush from the silver-haired Jounin, she stammered.

"I, I don't know why I reacted that way? I guess I felt angry and ashamed at having to be rescued like that. I'm a Leaf village Jounin for Kami's sake! I should have been able to handle the situation myself, but I couldn't because I let my guard down. So I lashed out at you for saving me because I was embarrassed at not being able to save myself. I, I don't like being your stereotypical damsel in distress who needs a man to always save her. I worked hard to achieve the rank of Jounin and I was more furious at myself for letting that scum get the drop on me. I'm so sorry I took that anger I felt for myself and turned it onto you Kakashi-kun."

"Kakashi-kun?" Kakashi uttered in confusion.

Kurenai giggled slightly, before turning around to face her fellow Leaf Jounin and said.

"Yes, Kakashi-kun,... I felt it was the proper way to address you since you've been referring to me as Kurenai-chan the past few minutes.

Now it was Kakashi's turn to blush slightly, as he had not realized he had been doing that and he quickly turned around in an attempt to hide his blush from the crimson-eyed kunoichi while stammering.

"I'm, I'm sorry Kurenai-cha...Kurenai, I didn't realize I was doing that."

Kurenai's response was to once more embrace Kakashi from behind while rubbing her cheek on his naked back and closing her eyes while softly saying.

"You don't have to apologize for addressing me like that; I actually like it when you do Kakashi-kun."

Kakashi could finally take no more and quickly turned around while tearing off his mask, as his lips crashed down onto Kurenai's. The brunette kunoichi was stunned for a moment, as the force of Kakashi's unexpected kiss took her by surprise. Needing to breathe, Kurenai opened her mouth to exhale, which Kakashi took full advantage, as his tongue slipped between her lips and it began to fiercely dance with her own. Kakashi eventually broke away from the passionate kiss and then assaulted Kurenai's neck and jaw line with his mouth. As he gently licked and nibbled at her neck, a small moan of pleasure escaped from Kurenai's mouth when she felt his hand reach around and tightly grasp her ass pulling her tight against him, while continuing to place soft, wet, and hot kisses from her ear to her collarbone. As Kakashi continued to leave kisses down her neck, Kurenai reached out to run her fingers through his soft touchable hair, while rubbing the back of his neck before pulling his face back up into a smoldering kiss once again. After a couple of minutes of their tongues ravaging each other Kurenai reluctantly broke away and Kakashi renewed his passionate attack on her neck by placing gentle featherlike kisses on it, as she arched her head back to expose more of her neck to him before saying in a rasping and panting voice.

"Ka-Kakashi-kun, I, I think fallen in love with you. But I need to know before we go any further if you feel the same. I don't want this to be a one-night stand."

Kakashi ceased his loving ministrations on Kurenai's neckline and pulled his head up to look directly into the crimson-colored eyes of the woman he held in his arms and stated with no uncertainty.

"Hai my crimson-eyed goddess, I do love you and I would be devastated if I thought this were to be a one-time occurrence between us. I want to be with you forever, if you would do me the honor and let me."

A lone tear of happiness rolled down Kurenai's cheek as she could hear no hesitation in his voice or sense any insincerity in what Kakashi said.

"I would like that very much." Kurenai lovingly replied, as she and Kakashi kissed once more and knelt down onto his bedroll, while removing each other's attire in a passionate frenzy.

* * *

**(Romantic Lemon Begins)**

Meanwhile, as Kurenai and Kakashi were settling in to take their relationship to a whole new level. Naruto trudged wearily into his tent and stripped off his shirt when he noticed a large chair placed in the center of the tent illuminated by some nearby candles. There was also a large ornamental rug the chair sat upon. The blonde-haired Jinchuuriki wondered what was going on when his breath hitched in his throat when Hinata stepped out of the darkness. The Hyuga woman was wearing an alluring lavender-colored lacy bra and thong set, while holding a tray filled with various types of finger food before her. She motioned Naruto to sit down in the chair, which he happily complied with her request wondering excitedly what she had planned for the evening.

When Naruto sat in the chair, he felt like a king sitting upon a throne, as Hinata sat on his lap and kissed him lustfully before popping a piece of food into his mouth. Naruto quickly chewed and swallowed the delectable morsel and leaned in to kiss Hinata once more who pulled back slightly and said.

"Ah, ah, ah, they'll be time for that after dinner, aren't you hungry?"

"Ravenous, but not for food." Naruto huskily replied, while hungrily eying the woman on his lap.

Hinata blushed upon hearing this and it took all of her self-control not to let Naruto ravish her right then and there. However, Hinata knew she must stick to the plan and popped another piece of food into Naruto's mouth before squirming out of his grasp and saying in a sultry tone of voice.

"Well if that's the case, I want you to close your eyes."

Naruto quickly obeyed with a grin on his face and waited with eager anticipation of what Hinata was going to do next. Needless to say he was quite shocked when Hinata activated her Byakugan and quickly lashed out and struck several key tenketsu points on his arms making the limbs hang lifeless from his body.

"Hina-hime, what are you doing?" Naruto groused while trying to get his arms to move, but to no avail.

Hinata leaned down and kissed Naruto to calm the agitated young man down before pulling out a handkerchief and tying it around his eyes and softly cooing.

"It's alright Naru-kun, I just want you to feel what's happening to you, but you can't look or touch until I tell you to."

For added emphasis the young Hyuga girl reached down and softly stroked Naruto's growing member through his pants that caused the blonde-haired man to cease his struggling and emit a small growl of pleasure. Hinata smiled at this reaction, before looking across the room and nodded her head to signal the other person in the tent to approach.

Ino exhaled a deep breath and timidly walked over to where Naruto was sitting with Hinata. The Hyuga girl smiled sweetly at her friend, as she rose from her position sitting in his lap and allowed Ino to replace her. Ino looked nervously at Hinata, before the Hyuga girl nodded her head in assurance to the blonde kunoichi. The Yamanaka heiress then leaned in and placed a soft tentative kiss on Naruto's lips. However, she was surprised at the ferocity of Naruto, as he swiftly deepened the kiss and forced his tongue into her mouth. After a moment, Ino returned his kiss with equal intensity, as her own tongue battled his for dominance.

As Ino continued kissing Naruto passionately while sitting on one of his legs, Hinata who was growing quite flustered didn´t want to be left out, so she sat on the other leg and started kissing his neck. After a minute, it finally registered in Naruto's brain that two sets of lips were now roaming his body and he hesitantly stammered in confusion.

"Hin-Hina-hime?"

Both girls stopped what they were doing and nodded to one another knowing they had to reveal themselves to Naruto now. Hinata reached up and untied the blindfold around her true love's head and threw it to the side. Naruto rapidly blinked for a moment, as if to clear his vision when he saw not only Hinata sitting in his lap, but Ino as well. And for the second time that night his breath hitched in his throat when he saw Ino was similarly dressed as Hinata was only her bra and thong set was fiery red in color. Before he could ask what was going on both women attacked his lips simultaneously and somehow all three of their lips met perfectly, as Naruto thought to himself.

'_Oh Kami, this can't be happening, I must be dreaming. I can't believe it, both Hina-hime and Ino-chan are kissing me together, and they're kissing each other to at the same time!_'

Similar thoughts were going through the minds of both Kunoichi's at the same time of Naruto's musings.

'_Damn I can't believe I'm doing this with Naruto-kun and Hinata-chan!' _Ino thought as her tongue alternated from exploring Naruto's mouth to Hinata's.

'_I can't believe how good this feels, this can't be happening. I'm kissing both Naru-kun and Ino-chan!' _Hinata thought with disbelief, as her tongue traveled from Naruto's mouth to Ino's and then back again.

'_It's like one of pervy-sage's most perverted dreams coming true. Please let this not be a dream.' _Naruto silently pleaded to Kami above, while he plundered both women's mouths with his tongue.

After several minutes of pleasurable shared lip-lock, the three moaning participants finally broke apart panting and gazed at one another before Naruto started to ask.

"Hina-hime, Ino-chan, what's going on here?"

It was Hinata who spoke up first and said.

"Naru-kun, I love you and Ino-chan loves you. And I know you love me and you also love her as well."

"But, you and I already talked about this earlier today; I won't hurt you by..."

A single finger to Naruto's lips from the Hyuga girl quickly silenced him, as she continued on.

"Don't interrupt, I wasn't finished yet. I appreciate your loyalty and devotion to me, but Ino-chan loves you as much as I do and I love Ino-chan to and she loves me. I couldn't bear the thought of knowing she was in pain because I'm with you Naru-kun. Ino-chan is my best friend; I couldn't have survived these last three years without her there to support me. Both of us think the three of us could be very happy together if given the chance, but you're being stubborn about it. So, I'm afraid you've left us no recourse, but to now show you how much we both love you.'

Before Naruto utter any type of rebuttal or protest, Hinata straddled his legs and captured his lips once more before pulling away, to allow Ino to replace her on his lap to kiss him too.

"Oh Naruto-kun, I love you so much!" Ino moaned, as she deepened the kiss, her tongue excitedly plundering every recess of his mouth until she had to pull away for air.

Meanwhile Hinata had been caressing every inch of Naruto's body she could reach. She licked his neck and nipped his earlobe, earning a moan from him and he turned his head and captured her lips again in a forceful kiss, as Ino slipped her hand under the waistband of his pants and began stroking his rapidly hardening member. When Hinata moaned, Naruto took the opportunity to deepen the kiss and was groaning with gratification at what Ino's ministrations were doing to him.

"Please Hinata-chan, let me have some too!" The blonde kunoichi exclaimed, as she turned Naruto's head and kissed him once again.

As Ino passionately kissed Naruto, Hinata took the opportunity to slide her body down his, while kissing and licking a path down to his well defined abdomen where she grazed his navel with her teeth and swirled her tongue around it. The Hyuga woman smiled when she heard him gasp from this action. She took her own hand and joined Ino's actions in stroking the man they both loved, before she slid back up, rubbing against him as she went.

"Naru-kun" Hinata cooed in a sexy tone of voice.

Naruto desperately wanted to touch Hinata and Ino with his hands, as he was being driven insane by the pleasure these two women were giving him. As he ravaged Ino's mouth with his, Hinata pulled the blonde kunoichi away from his mouth who whined in protest, before she felt her head being turned and Hinata's lips came crashing down on her own and began kissing her passionately. Naruto's eyes grew wide as saucers in shock the sight before him, as he watched both women sitting upon his lap lip-locked in a fiery embrace, while both girls began fondling each other. It was the most erotic scene Naruto could ever imagine, as he stared in a daze at what Hinata and Ino were doing with each other. However, he broke out of his haze when the two women stopped kissing, as they both turned their heads cheek to cheek to look at Naruto with lust filled eyes before descending down his body in unison.

Both kunoichi's kissed a path along his well-toned torso until they reached his pants, which they quickly removed and tossed aside. Ino and Hinata's eyes gleamed appreciatively, as they gazed upon the enormous length and girth of Naruto's cock now fully aroused. Hinata began to place kisses along the shaft and lovingly cupped his balls. Ino's mouth began to salivate at the sight of seeing Naruto fully naked again. She hastily slid in next to Hinata, as the Hyuga girl's lips quickly engulfed Naruto's cock in her mouth. After a few seconds of intense sucking, Hinata released his member and pulled Ino into another scorching kiss who moaned with desire, as she could taste Naruto's essence in the kiss.

Naruto's eyes rolled into the back of his head before he threw it back and savored the feeling he was receiving. The blonde-haired Jinchuuriki knew he couldn't take much more, as every swipe of a tongue brought him closer to losing it. Naruto attempted to remain in control, as he opened his eyes and gazed at Hinata and Ino. He watched as they kissed and suckled his cock bringing it to almost a painful aroused state. When he saw them lustfully kiss each other once again is when his willpower finally snapped. Suddenly, a brief red chakra flared through his body and opened all of the tenketsu points Hinata had previously closed. Both Kunoichi looked up in surprise, before Naruto leaned forward and pushed them onto the rug with his now functioning arms before ripping their bras away with one swipe of his hands.

Both Hinata and Ino shivered with nervous excitement when they saw the feral almost predatory look of hunger in the depths of Naruto's eyes, as he stared at them with wanton lust. Naruto quickly did a series of hand signs and erected a sound barrier jutsu around the tent, before he loomed over both women and cupped a breast each hand. Naruto leaned down and took one of Ino's hardened nipples into his mouth and suckled gently on it. Ino gasped before moaning with pleasure and closed her eyes, while wrapping her arms around his head to pull him tighter against her body. When Naruto then began licking her entire body, it was so intense Ino thought she might pass out, as she began to weep with joy at the sensations racing through her body.

For her part Hinata attempted to plaster her body along Naruto's trying to gain more contact with it. She watched Ino's contorted looks of delight spread across her face as Naruto lavished her body with his tongue. Almost frothing with desire and needing some attention the Hyuga woman reached out pulled Naruto to her. Naruto then began alternating from one girl to the other, as he licked Hinata's neck, leaving little nips in his wake causing her to shudder and moan. Ino quickly rolled over and kissed Hinata, as Naruto worked his charms on the Hyuga girl.

When Naruto switched his attention back to Ino, Hinata slid down and removed Ino's thong before parting her legs. She teased and kissed all around the sensitive flesh, before giving the Yamanaka girls sex a long swipe of her tongue, which caused Ino to scream out in pleasure. Naruto saw what Hinata had done and followed suit. He slid down Hinata's body and tore away her lavender colored thong and spread her legs before causing the Hyuga heiress to scream with passionate abandon, as he licked her folds. Naruto inserted two fingers and began to rhythmically pump them in and out stroking Hinata's inner lips and making her moan. After a few minutes of this Hinata knew she had enough and pushed Naruto away from her quivering sex, before rising on her hands and knees over Ino and presenting him her luscious backside. Naruto quickly maneuvered behind Hinata and stroked his cock a few times before lining the head up at her entrance. As Hinata loomed over Ino she leaned down and kissed the blonde girl, before lowering her head and attacking Ino's pussy once more.

As Hinata licked and sucked on Ino's sex she couldn't believe how sweet it tasted, it was almost addictive. She then turned her attention to Ino's clit and gave it a series quick little sucks before enveloping it with her mouth. As Hinata he gently sucked on it, she simultaneously flicked her tongue over and around it in rapid succession.

"Hinata-chan!" Ino cried out after this action and the girl knew she was close to her climax.

Upon hearing Ino shout out her name, Hinata's movements turned a little more aggressive and her tongue began to lash out with harder strokes. Ino clutched at her breasts and pulled on her nipples as Hinata pleasured her, while her finger found its way into her mouth to act as a gag to stifle her screams. When she felt Hinata's renewed vigorous assault upon her clit and the Hyuga woman groan against the hardened bundle of nerves the Yamanaka girl lost all control. She let loose a high-pitched scream and her orgasm exploded into Hinata's mouth, while Ino's entire body shook with satisfaction.

"Ohhhh Kamiiiiiii, yes Hinata, yes, I'm cumminggggggg!"

Upon the release of Ino's orgasm, Naruto immediately plunged his cock to the hilt inside Hinata who threw her head back in a silent scream. As always with Naruto, Hinata felt she had never been so full and never been so stretched in her entire life. The Hyuga woman was panting, as she tried to get adjusted to his size, before he began to move. She barely had enough time to brace herself, as he began pounding away furiously from behind, as the sound of their skin smacking together was embarrassingly loud. A moan escaped from Hinata's lips, as he reached around to fondle her swaying breasts. As the orgasm building within Hinata began to grow with every stroke, she began to push back against his thrusts increasing the pleasure they both were feeling.

Naruto growled out with desire when he felt Hinata slam back into him with every stroke and he began thrusting with even greater intensity than before. A small smile spread across Hinata's face and she moaned loudly when she felt Naruto drive into her with renewed vigor. Hinata knew Naruto always got excited when they used this position, while she preferred to be on top, looking down at him. She often wondered if it was because of some subtle influence of the Kyuubi no Youko within him that always made him so energized in this position. However, at that moment the reason for Naruto's increased vigor in this position was a moot point, as Hinata realized she was quickly approaching her own climax. Naruto reached around with one hand to caress her clit when he felt Hinata's inner walls begin to squeeze his manhood even more with every stroke. Finally, the Hyuga woman couldn't hold back anymore and screamed her lover's name, as something seemed to explode deep within her.

"Naru-Kunnnnnnnnnn!"

As Hinata yelled, her whole body shook in the throes of her release and she nearly collapsed forward onto Ino, but Naruto held her up, before gently lowering her onto her stomach next to the Yamanaka girl. Naruto then spread Hinata's legs a little more and renewed his assault on her warm moist pussy causing more screams of pleasure to erupt from her mouth. With one final violent thrust, Naruto buried himself completely into Hinata and held himself tightly against her grunting loudly as he came. Hinata could feel his weight pressed against her as he twitched inside her, releasing stream after stream of his hot seed.

Naruto kissed her shoulder gently, as he pulled his still aroused length from her, smiling when he heard Hinata shudder and whimper in protest. He crawled on all fours until he hovered over Ino. She looked up at him with adoration and love in her eyes and he smiled at her. Cupping her cheek, he kissed the blonde kunoichi deeply before lowering his body onto hers. Naruto pulled Ino's legs around his waist and he drove into her in one swift motion. He paused to allow Ino to get reacquainted with his size, before moving in a slow yet ever increasing pace within her.

Before too long, Ino was matching his pace and writhing beneath him in ecstasy. Naruto could feel Ino's nails rake down his back and knew she was ready for more and began pounding into her at a much faster rate. As Naruto gazed upon her face, her eyes widened and once again she brought her hand up to her mouth to bite on her finger in an attempt to stifle her scream, which Naruto saw and commented with love and concern.

"You don't have remain silent Ino-chan, let it out, cum for me."

Ino felt her body arch off the ground, as the most wonderful sensations erupted and spread throughout her body, as she screamed.

"Oh Kamiiiiiiii, I love you so much Naruto-kun!"

Naruto held her tightly, as he felt Ino's pussy tighten almost painfully around his cock and with one final thrust; Naruto buried himself into her, grunting loudly as he came for the second time, as the two lovers rode out their mutual orgasms together. When Naruto felt Ino finally relax, he released her and removed her legs from his waist and laid her trembling body gently back down onto the rug. He turned back to gaze at Hinata who had been lying next to them and watching the two blondes make love. When she caught Naruto's gaze upon her, Hinata blushed and Naruto smiled while thinking to himself.

'_That damn adorable blush of hers, I just can't resist it.'_

Naruto could already feel life returning to his cock as he stared at Hinata's naked splendor, before he leaned over and kissed her passionately and ran his hand softly along her body to prepare her. However, Hinata was having none of that. After the first round, she was ready for more, as she pushed him onto his back and straddled his manhood.

Naruto slipped into her with ease and she arched her back reveling in the feel of him. Hinata set a slow pace, while Naruto brought his hands up to fondle her large breasts, as she ran her hands all over his muscled chest. Naruto watched Hinata as she rode his member, her breasts flopping up and down from the force of her driving herself down onto him. The Hyuga woman then threw her head back, exposing her neck. The sight of this fueled Naruto's blood and he sat up enough to bite her there marking her as his before soothing the love-bite with his tongue. When Hinata's lavender-colored eyes gazed into Naruto's obsidian eyes glazed over with lust for her it drove her closer to the edge. She leaned back, taking in his full length even deeper and started to rock her hips harder. Hinata was coming close to climaxing again and she wanted Naruto to cum with her.

"Please Naru-kun, cum with me, I want feel you!" Hinata pleaded breathlessly.

Naruto put his hands on her waist and gripped Hinata tightly lifting her up and pulling her down faster than she had been doing it. As he slammed into her mercilessly, Hinata gasped with pleasure and she let him take over the ride, knowing he would get them to their release faster. She enjoyed the feeling letting him take control, as she never could have reached this speed on her own. Suddenly, Hinata felt a tightening in the pit of her stomach and she cried out his name as she came.

"Naru-Kunnnnnnnnnn!"

Hinata's climax triggered Naruto's and he surged forcefully upwards and spilled his seed into her. Stars seemed to explode in his eyes, as he shuddered and panted heavily, trying to regain control. Hinata held him tightly, as he rode out his orgasm and kissed him tenderly, while she whispered words of love and adoration to him. After awhile, she slid off his manhood and laid her head down on his chest. Ino followed suit and also rested her head upon his chest, as Naruto wrapped his arms around both of them. As the three lovers lay silently on rug basking in the glow of their love making, it was Hinata who spoke first and asked.

"Naru-kun, I love you and Ino-chan loves you and we know that you love the both of us. So do you think you can please give us the chance to become a family?"

Naruto gazed down and the two women looking up at him with love and hope reflected in their eyes and sighed before saying with frustration.

"Damn it, this isn't fair, you two are playing dirty with me! There are probably a dozen reasons why I should say no, but looking at both you and Ino-chan right now I just can't seem to think of any. If you're ok with this Hina-hime and Ino-chan is ok with it, then I guess we can give it a try."

Both Ino and Hinata squealed with delight and began kissing Naruto all over his face before both girls snuggled up to his chest once again and all three of them drifted off into a peaceful and happy slumber.

**(Romantic Lemon Ends)**

* * *

"What is it?" Sasuke complained with irritation at being awakened so early in the morning.

Rubbing his eyes he saw Momo standing in his tent looking down to the ground, while nervously wringing her hands. Sasuke felt a bit ashamed at venting his annoyance at the young girl and stated apologetically, while rising from his bedroll.

"I'm sorry Momo; I didn't mean to snap at you like that. What is it you need?"

"I was sent to inform you Uchiha-san that…eeep!" Momo began to say while looking up only to stop and blush furiously, as she saw Sasuke standing before her clad only in his bikini brief underwear.

Quickly turning around in an attempt to hide her embarrassment Sasuke suddenly realized the state of his dress and chuckled with amusement, before grabbing his pants and putting them on while saying.

"I apologize again Momo; I didn't mean to upset you. Now what is it you wish to tell me?"

"You, you didn't upset me Uchiha-san, I was just...surprised." The young raven-haired girl stammered, as she hesitantly turned around to face Sasuke once again.

"What did I tell you about calling me Uchiha-san, just call me Sasuke ok."

"I'm sorry Uchiha...I mean Sasuke. I was sent to inform you that the guards discovered two intruders attempting to sneak into the camp 15 minutes ago."

"So why inform me?"

"I was told to inform you because the two intruders bear the same symbol on that metal plate you wear around your forehead. The guards felt that a high-ranking member of Naruto-sama's comrades from his home village might be needed to figure out what to do with these prisoners. One of the prisoners injured several guards, before he was finally subdued."

"Hmmm, you say all the intruders wore a Hitai-ate the same as mine."

"Hai Sasuke."

"Well chances are they are from my village, but I'm not the highest-ranking member of my comrades. We should go inform my former Sensei Kakashi and let him decide what to do." Sasuke stated, as he finished putting on his shirt, before he and Momo exited the tent and made their way over to Kakashi's.

Upon reaching the silver-haired Jounin's tent, Sasuke opened the flap and strolled in followed closely behind by Momo and he announced.

"Kakashi-Sensei I think we've got a situation that demands your atten..."

Sasuke suddenly stopped speaking and froze at the sight before him. There before him was a naked Kakashi with an equally naked Kurenai lying on a bedroll with their arms and legs entwined around one another holding each other close as they slept. A squeak from Momo who immediately blushed and slapped her hands over her eyes snapped Sasuke out of his shock at seeing these two people together in such an intimate position, as he thought to himself.

'_The Ice-Queen and the perverted Cyclops, I never saw that coming.' _

Sasuke turned around and quickly ushered Momo out of the tent before saying.

"Well Momo, it appears Kakashi is indisposed at the moment. I guess we should go and inform Naruto of the situation with the intruders."

A nod from the young girl indicated her acceptance of Sasuke's decision and the two of them began walking over to Naruto's tent. Upon reaching it, they were stopped by two guards who stated.

"Naruto-sama gave orders he is not to be disturbed."

"I don't care what the dobe ordered; he's going to want to know about this as soon as possible." Sasuke groused with annoyance at the guard.

"I'm sorry Uchiha-san, but I have my orders."

"You know, if I wanted to enter the tent, do you two honestly believe you could stop me?"

A grim look spread look spread across the guard's faces, as they knew they wouldn't be able to stop him. Sasuke saw this look and stated with assurance.

"I will take full responsibility for disturbing Naruto-sama if it will ease your concern."

Both guards looked to one another and nodded their heads, before allowing Sasuke to open the tent flap and walk in followed closely behind by Momo as he announced.

"Hey dobe, I think we've got a prob…"

For the second time in the last 10 minutes, Sasuke ceased speaking mid-sentence and froze at the sight before him. There lay Naruto asleep in all of his naked glory with his arms wrapped protectively around an equally naked Hinata and Ino who slept with their heads resting upon Naruto's chest and their legs intertwined around his. Once again, a squeak of shock from Momo who furiously blushed and slapped her hands over her eyes once again broke Sasuke out of his shock at seeing this sight.

'_The dobe with both of them...at the same time...how the hell did he accomplish that?'_ Sasuke thought to himself with a little confusion, admiration, and a twinge of jealousy before looking over to Momo and thinking.

'_Damn, that blush of Momo's is pretty cute, I think I'm beginning to understand why Naruto thinks Hinata's blush is so sexy.'_

However, Sasuke decided to ponder about himself and Momo later before he led the obviously embarrassed raven-haired girl out of the tent and said.

"Well, it seems like Naruto-sama is indisposed as well. Take me to where the prisoners are being held Momo. I will decide what to do with them until Naruto and Kakashi are ...available."

When Sasuke and Momo arrived at where the intruders were being held, the first sight he saw was of Kiba lying face down with his hands tied behind his back and several guards with their swords directed towards him. The Uchiha then turned his attention to the Inuzuka's companion and his eyes fell upon the pink hair of the individual he had known most of his life. Sasuke's onyx-colored eyes narrowed when they met the gaze of Sakura's emerald-colored eyes. He inadvertently released a wave of killing intent, as he no longer saw the girl he once loved and was going to marry. Now all he saw was the girl who had played him for a fool for over five years and if there's one thing people should know, this Uchiha did not like to be made a fool by anyone. As he greeted her in a voice filled with malice, that made the pink-haired kunoichi flinch.

"Hello...Sakura."

* * *

**Author Note: **Well here is the last revised chapter from the original version of the story Neonzangetsu and I produced together. From here on out the chapters will be totally brand new and original works written by me alone. I have to say I ended up doing a ton of rewriting from the original version of this chapter. Mainly because I had written myself into a corner with too many contradictions revolving around which villains were still around for the good guys to fight. I'm afraid I'm going to have to use the "Edo Tensai - Resurrection to the Impure World Technique" to bring back a few more members of the Akatsuki. I also did a major rewrite of Naruto's conversation with Ino, as I felt I didn't do enough with it in the original and it came across as incomplete a bit rushed to me given Naruto and Ino's relationship. Also, as you might have noticed, I've now tagged when a romantic lemon is going to start and end in the chapter. I do this as a cautionary procedure because of what's been going on with FFnet recently. It is my hope that those readers who do not care for or wish to read a romantic lemon respect that as the author I feel it is necessary for the story. Just as I respect them by providing an indicator of when one is beginning so they do not have to read it.

Anyway, I hope all the changes I made meets with everyone's approval, as it was a lot of work to do. So, I'm anxious to see what your reviews will be for the chapter. I do wish to thank everyone both old and new readers who took the time to review my last chapter. For those of you who did review, you all had a lot to say about it and I'm pleased that this story has such a strong fan base with readers who actually write out well thought-out reviews. Because of that, I enjoy reading many of your reviews, so please leave lots of them, as they do help a writer get a sense of the thoughts and opinions of the fans of a story. They also can help lift the spirits of an author as well. Also, to any readers who are staff members to any C2 communities, please feel free to add my story to your community if you feel it is worthy of it. I won't mind, I swear. I'll even pinkie swear if I need to?

**Breaking News:**

In 2010, my fellow author brown phantom iniated a poll asking the following question.

**Who is the best Naruto fan fiction writer on this site?**

Upon completion of that first poll I finished a very respectable 8th to which I thank all of you who voted for me on that poll very much for making that happen. Now brown phantom has decided to run a second poll asking that same question. So I humbly ask if you feel I'm worthy of being one of your 10 author picks to please place a vote for me on brown phantoms second poll. I thank you in advance for your support and normally I would provide you the links to the profile pages for brown phantom for you to use. However, one of the "oh so wonderful" changes FFnet has recently made is making it more difficult to list a link anywhere even if it's a link on their own freaking site. So just do a quick search for the author, brown phantom. As I said I finished 8th on his first poll and I would be ecstatic if I could improve on that showing, but I will need all of your help to achieve that.

**End of Breaking News:**

Thanks to everyone for your support of this story and take it easy!

_**Kingkakashi **_


	28. We Are Not Lesbians!

**Do I Have A Purpose Anymore?**

**Chapter 28: "We Are Not Lesbians!"**

* * *

"Hello...Sakura."

The pink-haired kunoichi flinched after hearing her former fiancé greet her in a cold filled voice and she wondered why he was speaking to her in such a tone. Hesitantly, she spoke up and asked.

"Sas-Sasuke-kun, what are you doing out here?"

"I'm out here per Hokage-Tsunade's orders to search for Naruto. The more important question is why you are here?"

"I'm, I'm here per Lady Tsunade's orders as well, to search for Naruto-kun."

"That is a lie Sakura; I thought I taught you better than to lie to a comrade." Kakashi stated with disappointment, as he and Kurenai arrived at the scene.

"Kakashi-Sensei!" Sakura exclaimed in surprise.

"Kakashi-sensei, Kurenai-sensei, it's good of you two to get dressed before you joined us." Sasuke greeted in amusement.

Kurenai immediately began blushing and Kakashi stammered.

"You, you saw us?"

"Yes, I went to get you when I learned we had unexpected visitors from our home, but that's not important. Please tell us how you know Sakura is lying."

"Lady Tsunade informed us that Sakura went AWOL from the Leaf village, as did Hinata, Ino, and Kiba to search for Naruto. My mission along with Kurenai was….is to bring all of you back to the village."

"So why did you lie to me Sakura…..again?" Sasuke asked his former teammate.

"I, I didn't want to hurt you more after our breakup, by telling you I deserted the village to search for Naruto-kun."

"Don't you dare address him like that you bitch!" Ino's hate-filled voice rang out, as she Naruto and Hinata approached the unexpected reunion of Genin Team #7.

"Pig!" Sakura spat in disdain, before her gaze fell upon Naruto and was about to greet him, but the glare he was directing towards her silenced the young woman.

"Hinata!" Kiba cried out, as he struggled to sit up after seeing his ex-wife.

For her part, Hinata just looped an arm through Naruto's and scowled at Kiba, before greeting the Inuzuka heir in a icy tone of voice.

"Kiba."

Kiba growled in jealous fury, when he saw Hinata entwine her arm with Naruto's.

Yugito arrived and saw Naruto with Hinata and also with this new blonde girl from his village. Her Jinchuuriki enhanced sense of smell, immediately told her what had transpired between the three of them and she lowered her head in sadness.

'**See what you get with your indecisiveness, you're sad because you've fallen ****for this delicious blonde hunk of man-meat and now not just one, but two females have claimed him for themselves.' **Nibi purred with disgust inside Yugito's mind.

'_Would you shut-up; I've not fallen for him, I've not!'_ Yugito silently snapped at her tenant.

'**Deny it all you want, but you know you have, or** **maybe you're just sad that the princess and now this blonde haired vixen from his homeland have now gotten a taste of that meat that you've secretly been wanting the past few weeks, but have been too afraid to go after. You're pathetic and now you've lost any chance to be with him now!'**

"Shut-up!" Yugito cried out loud in an attempt to silence her bijuu, startling everyone present, as tears threatened to spill from her eyes.

Yugito-chan, are you all right?"

"Hai, hai, I'm alright, my tenant just decided to have a few words with me that's all." Yugito quickly stammered, as she wiped her eyes, before stealing a quick glance at Hinata and Ino.

Hinata saw Yugito glance over and felt concern for her, as the young woman must have realized what had transpired between Naruto, Ino, and herself only a few hours earlier. And if the Kumo woman hadn't realized it yet, then Sasuke's sarcastic greeting to Naruto took care of any lingering doubt.

"Dobe, it's nice of you three to get dressed before you joined us." Sasuke greeted once again in amusement.

"Teme,…..wait how do you know?"

"I stopped by your tent earlier to inform you we had visitors from the Leaf village. And before you blame your guards don't. I didn't give them much of a choice other than to let me in, so I take full responsibility for it."

"Damn it teme, you I will have a private talk later!" Naruto declared with a hard-edge to his voice.

"I look forward to it, I'm sure it's a very interesting tale you have to tell about what I saw."

Both Hinata and Ino were blushing furiously, as Sasuke spoke, before Naruto said.

"Like I said, we'll talk later. Now, what should I do with these two uninvited and….. unwanted guests from home?"

"Naruto-kun." Sakura softly said, saddened by his tone of voice.

"I told you billow-board brow, don't call him that! You lost that right a long time ago and you know it!" Ino spat with anger.

"Cut me loose Naruto-baka and get away from my wife!" Kiba barked in fury.

"Quiet you mongrel, you will address Naruto-sama with respect with that tongue of yours or you will lose that tongue!" Daisuke threatened, before he jabbed Kiba in the ribs with the handle of his axe.

"Daisuke that's enough!" Naruto ordered with authority.

"Forgive me Naruto-sama." Daisuke replied, while bowing in respect.

"You and the other guards leave and inform Kenpachi that I want no one to disturb us. This is a private matter with regards to my former comrades from my homeland."

"As you command sir."

"Momo, you go with them as well." Sasuke ordered his First Lieutenant."

"As you wish Sasuke." Momo softly replied.

A minute later, both Sakura and Kiba were still bound and kneeling in front of Hinata and Naruto who asked in a harsh and commanding tone of voice.

"Sakura, Kiba, why are you two here?"

"Like I said earlier, I came searching for you Naruto-k….Naruto." Sakura timidly answered.

"I'm here for my wife, so get your filthy arm off of her, before I rip it off!" Kiba threatened, as he glared at the blonde Jinchuuriki, while struggling to break the ropes tying his hands behind his back..

"You best curb that tone of voice with me Kiba. We all know your bark is worse than your bite!" Naruto sarcastically stated.

"I'll show you how bad my bite can be you bastard!" Kiba announced, as he rose from the ground and took a step forward, only to stop, when he saw everyone else take a step forward towards him.

"Kiba, as your superior and former sensei, I'm ordering you to stand down!" Kurenai commanded to her former student.

"Why are all of you protecting this demon? He stole my wife and I want Hinata back!" Kiba angrily questioned to his fellow Leaf village shinobi.

"Hinata is not your wife!" Sakura shouted at Kiba.

"What, what do you mean I'm not his wife?" Hinata stammered in confusion.

"Shut up Sakura!" Kiba growled threateningly.

"Just what I said Hinata, you're not Kiba's wife, at least not anymore."

"I said shut the fuck up Sakura or I'll kill you!" Kiba shouted, as he took a menacing step towards the pink-haired kunoichi beside him, before he stopped when he felt the blade of Sasuke's zanpaktou on his throat.

"Go ahead Sakura, the mutt isn't going to be killing anyone at the moment." Sasuke declared with a smirk on his face.

"I found out from Kiba's sister Hana, you're no longer married to him Hinata. His mother and your father have legally dissolved the marriage between you and him."

"You fucking bitch!" Kiba spat in a rage, before Sasuke applied a little more pressure to the blade on the Inuzuka's throat.

"As of right now, you're a single woman again." Sakura proclaimed, ignoring Kiba.

It took a moment for Hinata to process what she had just learned, but when she finally did, her face lit up in a bright smile, as she turned her head to gaze lovingly at Naruto.

"Grrrrrrrrr, I don't give a damn what okaasan and Hiashi have done! The two of them can go to Hell! I didn't agree to a divorce and neither did Hinata!" Kiba growled in protest.

Hinata turned back to glare at Kiba and slapped him, as she spoke in a hate-filled tone of voice no one had ever thought was possible from her.

"You ignorant pathetic piece of garbage! You honestly believe that I _wouldn't_ agree to divorce you. I wouldn't have married you in the first place if you and my father didn't blackmail me by using my sister!"

"Hinata, what do you mean?" Kurenai asked with interest.

"Shut up you bitch, you're my wife, you swore not to say anything! If you do I'll make you regret it!" Kiba screamed at Hinata.

An instant later Naruto was in front of the Inuzuka heir delivering a powerful punch to his face sending his former friend tumbling backwards for several feet. Before Kiba could even get up, he felt Naruto's boot pressing down on his throat, as the blonde Jinchuuriki said with malice.

"If you ever speak to or threaten Hinata-chan like that again, I will kill you! You're getting a one-time pass right now because we were once friends. However, that's the only pass you're getting, so I suggest you keep that filthy mouth shut and let Hinata-chan inform the others about the….truth behind her marriage to you."

Naruto pressed his foot down to add a little bit more emphasis to what he had just said to Kiba.

"What does Naruto mean about the truth of your marriage to Kiba?"

"I had to marry Kiba three years ago to save my sister from him Kurenai-sensei." Hinata spat with bile and loathing of her former husband.

"Hinata, I'm your best friend and even I don't know what you're talking about?" Ino stated in bewilderment.

"When my father and Kiba first approached me with the arranged marriage I vehemently refused them. My father even threatened to have me branded with the Caged-Bird seal unless I agreed and I still told them no. I told him and that worthless pile of shit currently under Naruto-kun's boot that would marry him and only him. This angered both my father and Kiba greatly. My father, because Kiba had paid him a great deal of money for my hand in marriage, and Kiba because he wanted me so badly. They then informed me that if I didn't go through with the arranged marriage to Kiba, then Hanabi would be required to take my place and she would be branded with the Caged-Bird seal so Kiba could more easily control her."

An audible gasp of shock was exhaled by many of the Leaf village shinobi present, as they turned to look at Kiba with disgust, before Hinata continued on.

"If all of you remember, Hanabi and Konohamaru had fallen in love with one another and promised to marry when they reached legal age. I, I couldn't let my father and Kiba destroy their happiness. I had to marry Kiba to save Hanabi and Konohamaru, so I relented and agreed to the arranged marriage, even though I knew that in saving Hanabi's happiness, I would be destroying my own. And I've lived in my own private hell for the past three years because of it." Hinata explained, before she began to waver, as the stress of the situation was overwhelming to her.

Before Hinata fell, she was caught by Ino who lowered her friend gently to the ground, as she exclaimed in distress.

"Hinata-chan, what's wrong, are you alright?"

"Naruto, cut me loose, let me help Hinata!" Sakura shouted.

A moment later, Naruto had freed Sakura and they both rushed over to where Hinata lay. As her hands glowed with green chakra, Sakura began to scan Hinata's vitals. A couple of minutes later, she deactivated her chakra and with Ino helped the Hyuga girl to her feet, while everyone anxiously waited for her diagnosis.

"Your fine Hinata, your blood pressure was elevated, which is probably what caused you to feel dizzy, but it's coming back down now. I suppose I'm the first one to congratulate you."

"Con-congratulate me, what do you mean Sakura?" Hinata asked in confusion.

"You're pregnant." Sakura announced in a saddened soft voice, as she knew who the father must be.

Hinata's eyes grew wide in astonishment and her hands instinctively rose up to her stomach. Everyone was momentarily stunned at the news, but the silence was broken by Kiba who still bound rose to his knees and exclaimed joyously.

"Damn it's about time Hinata, we've been trying to produce an heir for three years!"

"What makes you think it's yours." Hinata spat with malice at her ex-husband.

"What, what do you mean?" Kiba asked in confusion.

"It's a pity your intelligence never increased as you grew up; you're still the ignorant and simple-minded little boy you were at 13 years old as you are now. I haven't been trying to have a child for the last three years and if I was attempting to have a child, it certainly wouldn't have been with a fool like you! So I took the appropriate measures to make certain that would never happen."

"What are you talking about?

"You idiot, I may have been forced to marry you, but I'll be damned if I would bear you a child. I've used a contraceptive jutsu our entire marriage, because there is only one man I want to gift a child to and that isn't you!"

"But, we've been trying to have a kid since our honeymoon!" Kiba shouted in obvious puzzlement.

"DON'T YOU DARE REFER TO THAT NIGHT AS OUR HONEYMOON! CALL IT FOR WHAT IT REALLY WAS YOU CONTEMPTIBLE SON OF A BITCH. IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT YOU RAPED ME!" Hinata screamed in pained fury with tears running down her face.

A collective gasp was uttered by everyone present, as Naruto hugged Hinata in an attempt to comfort her, while she cried into his chest. The anger and rage from everybody began to rise, as they glared at Kiba who was shivering under the oppressive pressure of the killing intent being directed towards him by all those present. Finally it was Kurenai who couldn't stand it anymore and walked over and punched Kiba in the nose breaking it, as she screamed with fury at her former student.

"You filthy fucking bastard, I'm ashamed to have ever called you a student of mine! You are nothing but a disgrace, both as a shinobi and a man!"

"You fucking bitch! If my hands weren't still tied, I'd kill you for striking me like that! I didn't rape anyone, it was our honeymoon and all Hinata would do is sit there and cry. She wouldn't put out like she was supposed to, so I took what was rightfully mine as her husband. And I've done so numerous times since then, when she continued to refuse me during our marriage." Kiba spat in angered explanation, as he rose to his knees once again.

"Hinata, why didn't you tell me?" Naruto whispered in a pain-filled voice.

"I, I couldn't tell you because of the threat Kiba and my father still held over Hanabi and Konohamaru."

"But why didn't you tell me about this now?"

"I, I was….afraid to tell you Naru-kun."

"What were you afraid of,….was it me?"

"N-no, I wasn't afraid of you, I, I was afraid of losing you if you knew what had happened to me. I was scared that you wouldn't want me anymore if you found out how used and dirty I am because what Kiba has done me."

Naruto hugged Hinata a bit tighter, as she softly wept into his chest, while he stroked her back and said in a sad yet comforting voice.

"Hinata-chan, I'm so sorry you had to suffer such vile acts these past three years. If I had known, I swear to Kami I would have rescued you, the Hyuga and Inuzuka clans be damned if they tried to stop me. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you my hime."

Hinata could barely believe what she was hearing. This man, this wonderful man that she was forced to betray was actually blaming himself for the fate that befell her. What's more there wasn't a hint of disgust for her in his voice or in the way he held her. Lifting her head and looking up at him with tear-filled eyes, Hinata hesitantly asked.

"You're, you're not disgusted with me?"

Naruto looked down at the Hyuga girl he loved and held in his arms with confusion etched on his face before saying in bewilderment, as he pulled away from their embrace.

"Why would I be disgusted with you? You did nothing wrong and what happened to you no one should ever have to endure. It's foolish of you to think that way."

"It's not foolish Naruto-kun, but a deep-seated fear all women share about their one loved ones after they've suffered what Hinata and I had to suffer." Yugito stated, as she walked over and then embraced Hinata in a sisterly hug, while whispering in comfort and understanding to the Hyuga girl.

"It appears we're more alike than I thought Hinata for I too know the pain, despair and loneliness you've had to bear these past few years because of what that bastard did to you."

Naruto had been trying to keep his anger in check, but the recognition of what had happened to both Hinata and Yugito finally hit him like a ton of bricks and he growled out threateningly.

"I promised you Yugito that once I get my hands on Madara, I will make him and the rest of the Akatsuki pay for what they did to you! However, what Kiba did to you Hinata-chan only makes me want to kill him that much more and there's nothing stopping me from turning that son-of-a-bitch into a pile of ashes right now!"

Instantly Naruto was now standing over Kiba with his right hand ablaze in red chakra. Kiba was frozen in absolute terror, as the killing intent directed upon him by his former friend was overwhelming. However, before Naruto could grip the Inuzuka's throat and reduce to ashes the Leaf village Jounin, a hand shot out and grasped his wrist holding it in place. When Naruto turned his head to see who was preventing him from attaining his justified vengeance for Hinata, he growled out with furious rage.

"Hatake, I would let go of me unless you want to share the same fate as this piece of shit!"

"Naruto, after what I've just heard, I would like nothing more than for you to take revenge on Kiba for what he has done, but I can't let you kill him. Lady Tsunade's orders to Kurenai and I were for everyone to return, safe and unharmed."

"I don't give a damn about baa-chan's orders, so you had better let go…..now!"

"Naru-kun please stop, don't kill him!" Hinata cried out.

"Hinata-chan, why would you beg me to stop after what he's done to you?"

"I would like nothing more than Kiba's death if it only affected me, but it doesn't. His death would cause Tsume-san and Hana great sorrow and I care too much about them for that to happen. Even it means forgoing any desires for vengeance I harbor towards their son and brother."

"You're too merciful my hime!"

"Naruto, do you really want to associate the day you found out you're going to be a father with killing a man you once called a friend and comrade?" Kakashi asked.

Kakashi's words had the desired effect upon his enraged former student and after a moment the crackling red chakra around Naruto's hand subsided before disappearing completely, as the news that he was going to be a dad finally sunk in.

"I'm, I'm going to be a dad." Naruto stammered to himself in disbelief, before he turned back to Kiba who was still quivering in fear.

"You're a lucky man Kiba, because I wanted to kill you real... baaaaaaaad and I still might if you push me. Sasuke, do me a favor and throw this piece of trash into the prison pit, until I figure out what to do with him."

"No problem Naruto and congratulations. Come on dogboy time to put you into your cage for the day." Sasuke stated in sarcastic amusement, as he lifted Kiba up by the scruff of his collar."

"Get your damn hands off of me Uchiha scum!" Kiba snapped in protest, only to receive a kick to his backside from Sasuke, as he escorted the Inuzuka heir away.

Naruto looked over to see Hinata being glommed by Ino, Kurenai, and Yugito, while Sakura stood off to the side. Sighing to himself, he turned to Kakashi and said.

"Kakashi, I don't think Sakura is going to cause any problems like Kiba, so I'm not going to imprison her. Do me a favor and fill her in on what's going on and to what we have agreed to. See if she is willing to help us against Madara and the Akatsuki."

"I shall Naruto, but I think Sakura really wants to talk to you."

"I know, but I have other females I need to have conversations with first. I'll talk to Sakura at some point, but I'm not ready right now."

"I understand and I have to say I'm impressed you're being so….civil about her considering your rather tumultuous relationship the two of you has had."

"She's a superb Medical-nin and powerful kunoichi in her own right. Sakura would definitely be a help to us in our upcoming fight if she is willing to. So I'm not so foolish as to refuse her help despite my personal feelings about her."

Naruto and Kakashi then walked over to the group of excited females and while Kakashi motioned to Sakura to walk with him. Naruto wrapped his arm lovingly around Hinata and bravely endured the multitude of questions and comments mainly from Kurenai about a variety of subjects surrounding Hinata's pregnancy and his intentions for the future.

* * *

As the Naruto clone stealthily made his way through the castle of the Spring Country's ruler Princess Kazahana Koyuki, he was ever alert to learn all the information he could about the enemy his master would soon be facing. He had already learned that the followers of the Akatsuki numbered in the neighborhood of 125 to 150 with the majority of them being of low level Chunin strength. Now he needed to find out as much as he could about who the main power players would be. Spying an air duct, the clone quickly climbed into it and crawled his way towards the throne room. Upon reaching the throne room, he spied through the air duct grate and listened to conversation taking place.

"So you're saying you can only revive two of my former Akatsuki minions Orochimaru."

"No Madara, what I ssssssaid was I could only completely control two of your Akatsuki brethren through use of the Edo Tensei technique. I could revive more, but my control would not be absolute and if they chose to fight against the technique, they might break free and turn against usssssss in the battle."

"Well that eliminates Pein, Konan, and Itachi. For surely those three would fight the technique and betray me just as they did in the past."

"I'm afraid your choices are limited even further Madara-sama, as due to the lack of having a physical body to resurrect Kisame, Sasori, and Suigetsu are also eliminated." Kabuto contritely stated to the elder Uchiha.

"No loss there, all three of them were a pain-in-the-ass, as far as I'm concerned." Deidara snorted derisively.

"It takes one to know one." Zetsu commented with contempt towards his fellow Akatsuki member.

"Shut-up half n' half, or I'll introduce you to my art…intimately!" Deidara spat back in angered retort.

"Silence, I'm in no mood for either of you and your petty insults." Madara exclaimed in irritated anger.

Both Deidara and Zetsu immediately went silent, as neither one of them wanted to experience their leader's wrath. After a minute of silence, the Uchiha leader spoke again and stated with certainty.

"I know of the perfect two to resurrect, their power and skills very nearly rival my own, and their loyalty to me is without question."

"Who do you wish me to revive?" Orochimaru asked in curiosity.

"You will revive Obito Uchiha and Kakuzu."

"I shall need their bodies to perform the Edo Tensei."

"They will available to you tomorrow."

A knock on the door interrupted any further conversation and Madara motioned to Zetsu. Knowing what his leader wanted Zetsu immediately morphed and henge into the form of Dotou the former leader of the Land of Spring. A moment later, one of the Akatsuki followers brought in Princess Kazahana Koyuki and led her to stand before Madara and the supposed Dotou. The young ruler leveled a heated glare at both men before announcing with a sneer.

"You can drop the act Madara of using this phony Dotou, it might have fooled me initially, but I know now he's nothing but a fake."

"It doesn't matter now; he's served his purpose by instilling fear back into your people once again. Zetsu, revert back to your natural form."

With a nod to his leader, Zetsu immediately reverted back to his black and white body and dropped his henge while stating.

"I'm glad I won't have to change back into that form anymore, it was too confining."

"Why am I here?" Koyuki asked.

"You're here because I've grown weary of waiting for your supposed champion Naruto to arrive and save you, as you so foolishly believe he will."

"Naruto will come and rescue me and my people. And when he arrives, he's going to kick your ass once again, just like he did in the Fourth Great Shinobi war." Koyuki replied, her defiance towards Madara and confidence in Naruto echoing in her voice.

"Bah, you're hero worship of the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki is nauseating and your faith in him is misplaced. He's had several weeks to come riding in on his white horse to rescue you and the people of your country, and yet where is he?"

"He will come, I know he will."

"Well perhaps I can speed him along by just killing you and let the news of your death reach his ears and then he will rush to avenge you!" Madara spat in angered irritation, as he signaled the Akatsuki follower behind the Koyuki.

The man immediately pulled out a dagger and was about to stab the princess when suddenly there was an explosion. Koyuki had heard the Akatsuki henchman unsheathe his dagger and closed her eyes and waited calmly for the final strike to come that would end her life. She then heard an explosion and felt something warm strike her face. Tentatively opening her eyes, the rightful ruler of the Spring Country was greeted with a sight that shocked her. There standing beside her with a rasengan in his hand was none other than Naruto. Looking over she then saw the headless body of the Akatsuki follower who was about to kill her. Koyuki then realized that the explosion had come from Naruto thrusting his rasengan into her would be killers head, obliterating it, as she reached up to wipe some of his blood off of her face. Looking up towards Naruto's grinning face, she heard him say.

"Sorry about the blood princess, the rasengan can be a bit messy at times."

"Namikaze, so you've finally arrived!" Madara declared, as he rose from the throne he had been sitting in."

"Well sort of yes and sort of no Uchiha teme." The clone stated in amusement, as he twirled a kunai in his hand. Meanwhile Madara signaled Deidara, Zetsu, Orochimaru, and Kabuto into attack positions, before he asked.

"What are talking about?"

"Ahh, ahh, ahh, my master would be very cross with you if you had killed the princess here. Show a little patience Madara, my master knows you're here, so there's no reason to kill the princess or anyone else to bring him to you. He's eager to meet with you once again and will be here very soon."

"What do you mean by your master?"

"He's a shadow clone!" Orochimaru answered.

"Correct Oro-teme, you might be a slithering, back-stabbing traitor, but my master never thought you were stupid."

"Why thank you clone, ssssssince you are here, am I to assume that the real Naruto is nearby?"

"Ha, ha, ha, oh no, my master can create a clone that will last for days and he doesn't even have to be near them to maintain it. No, master Naruto is a few days away, but he is coming and I can promise all of you that this time none of you will be returning once he is done."

"An empty threat from the Kyuubi brat!" Madara spat dismissively.

"Madara, it would be in our besssssst interest to capture this clone." The Snake Sannin hissed.

The clone turned to Koyuki when he saw Deidara, Zetsu, Orochimaru, and Kabuto advance towards him and said to the princess in a comforting voice.

"I wish I could rescue you right now princess, but do not worry. Master Naruto will be here very soon and you and your people will once again be free."

The Naruto clone then whirled around and tossed five kunai with exploding tags attached to them towards his enemies. As Madara and the rest of his minions jumped away from each exploding kunai, the clone then took his remaining kunai and stabbed himself in the chest exploding instantly in a cloud of smoke. When the smoke dissipated from the explosions, Orochimaru inwardly cursed to himself. Madara might not realize the ramifications of the clone's destruction, but he did. The Snake Sannin silently wondered how much information the clone had gathered and had now transferred back to the blonde Jinchuuriki upon its demise.

* * *

It had been a few hours since Kiba and Sakura had been captured and their subsequent reunion with their former friends and comrades at the Crimson bandit encampment. This had given Yugito time to contemplate her current situation with regards to Naruto and herself. The Nibi vessel had already decided that at the very least she was going to help him in his upcoming battle against Madara and the Akatsuki. If for no other reason than the chance to gain some justified revenge against the very people who had made her life a living hell for the past eight years, But what about after the battle, what was her future then with Naruto?

'_Do I even have a future with him now?' _ Yugito thought sadly to herself, as she recalled the sight of Naruto with Hinata and Ino earlier.

The former Cloud kunoichi thoughts were interrupted when she heard Hinata's voice outside of her tent seeking entrance. Granting permission, Yugito saw the Hyuga girl enter and realized she had been getting closer to Hinata on a daily basis since they met. Even to the point that the young blonde woman almost considered her a friend now. In sad sort of way, Yugito now felt even closer to Hinata upon learning that the girl had suffered through the same horrific fate that she had also endured. As Hinata sat down next to Yugito she faced her fellow kunoichi who said in a broken voice.

"I, I didn't get a chance to say this to you before, but congratulations on the news of your child with Naruto-ku,…. I mean Naruto. I'm sure the two of you must be very happy about it."

"Th-thank you Yugito, I think initially Naru-kun was more surprised than happy, but we've talked and he is pleased at the thought of becoming a father. As for me, it was always my dream to have a child with him, so I'm very excited that it has come true."

"I'm, I'm sure the two of you will be ha-happy together in the future and I wish you both the best." Yugito stammered in a choked voice as she struggled not to cry upon recognizing the answer to her previous question, as she thought sadly to herself.

'_I have no future with Naruto-kun now.'_

"Thank you Yugito-chan, but I didn't come here to talk to you about Naru-kun's and mines future."

"What did you want to talk to me about?"

"I wanted to talk to you about Naru-kun's future with you."

"What do you think I'm going to cause problems for you and Naruto-kun….damn it, I mean Naruto? Because if you do, then you're wrong, I know Naruto has loved you for a very long time and that you love him. I care for the both of you, so you need not worry about me causing any trouble in the future. As soon as Madara is defeated, I will quietly bow out of your lives so the two of you and that blonde friend of yours can have a blissful life together." Yugito replied with gritty determination, even though her heart was breaking as she spoke, while a lone tear rolled down her face.

"No, no you misunderstand me! I never thought you were going to cause problems. And I certainly don't want you to just disappear from my life and certainly not from Naru-kun's life." Hinata exclaimed in a worried tone of voice.

"I, I don't understand Hinata, why would you want me around?" Yugito asked in obvious confusion.

"I want around because I don't want to lose a friend and I also don't want Naru-kun to lose someone I know he cares deeply for. If that were to happen he would be saddened by it."

"So you're saying you want me in yours and Naruto's life."

"Hai, I do, I know you care deeply for Naru-kun, perhaps even love him. So I don't want him to lose one of his precious people. And if you want to pursue something…..more with him, I will not stand in your way."

"I'm still confused about all of this; just what are you trying to say?"

"What I'm trying to say is that I care a great deal about you to and if you come to love Naru-kun as I do, then I wouldn't mind sh-sharing him with you."

"Do, do you really mean that Hinata?" Yugito exclaimed, in astonishment when she heard the Hyuga girl's suggestion.

"Yes, I want us to remain friends and I don't want you to see you hurt. You're my friend and I couldn't stand to see you in pain because I'm with Naru-kun."

Yugito sat there in stunned silence trying to process and contemplate what Hinata was offering, before she looked over and asked.

"What about your blonde friend, what does she think about all of this?"

"Ino and I have spoken about this and there's only one thing we care about and that's Naru-kun's happiness. As long as you truly love him and he loves you, then like me she doesn't have any problems or concerns about sharing Naru-kun with you."

"Are you saying you want a relationship with me like you have with Ino? Because I'm not ready for something like that and I don't know if I ever will be."

"You know about Ino and me, I suppose you overheard Sasuke this morning."

"I knew before the emo-duckbutt said anything. One of the advantages of being a Jinchuuriki is a heightened sense of smell."

"I see, well to answer your question…no, I'm not suggesting that you engage in a relationship with me or Ino or the both of us similar to what Ino and I have taken our relationship to."

"If you don't mind me asking, what is the relationship between the two of you?"

"It's, it's complicated, as both Ino and I are still trying to come to grips with it. We're not lesbians if that is what you're wondering about. I'm not nor is she attracted to other females. Initially our relationship started off as friendship growing up. As we got older, that friendship grew stronger and the bond between us grew deeper. And as that bond continued to grow, eventually, we both realized that we held a deep love for one another and for Naru-kun. And neither one of us could stand to see the other one in pain because we were with him. So we just took our love that we felt for each other to another level because of the love we both share for Naru-kun. I know Ino truly loves both Naruto and me and she knows that I truly love her and Naru-kun. I'm not sure if that answers your question or makes sense to you Yugito-chan, but that's the best explanation I can give."

"It answers my question and in a way it does make sense given your relationships with both Naruto-kun and Ino. I also appreciate that you weren't suggesting I engage into that type of relationship with you and Ino. I'm not opposed to it and I don't think there is anything wrong with it, but like I said I don't think I'm ready for something like that and I don't know if I ever will be."

"I understand."

Thank you Hinata for making such an offer, but it doesn't matter. Naruto-kun might not want a relationship with me, now that he has the two of you. So he and I being together in such a way may be nothing more than just a foolish fantasy on my part."

"Do you love Naru-kun?" Hinata asked.

"I, I don't know, I'm not sure I even know what love is anymore after the hell I went through at the hands of the Akatsuki. I do know that I care about Naruto-kun a great deal and I feel some empathy for him because he is a Jinchuuriki like me, but I'm not sure if that's love."

"Well I believe Naru-kun cares very much for you as well Yugito-chan, which is why Ino and I don't mind sharing him with you. So if the two of you discover that you do truly love one another then we want the both of you to be happy."

"Thank you Hinata."

"However, you and Naru-kun do need to talk about your feelings for one another. I also need to talk to him to let him know that if he desires to pursue a relationship with you, that Ino and I are fine with him doing that. So, let me talk to him first, but I'll need some time ok?"

"Yugito nodded her head in understanding, as both women rose to their feet and hugged one another in friendship and understanding, before Hinata exited the tent.

* * *

Naruto exhaled a weary sigh, as he entered the tent he shared with Hinata and now he supposed with Ino as well after last night. The blonde Jinchuuriki stripped off his now torn up shirt and grumbled in annoyance as he looked at it. It was one of his favorite shirts and now it was ruined thanks to Sasuke. However, Naruto knew it was actually his own fault that his shirt was now a tattered mess. He was the one who chose along with Kakashi to help the teme finally unlock his Bankai, which Naruto had to admit was quite impressive to see.

Sasuke's Bankai transforms Zabimaru into a massive version of its Shikai form, resembling a skeleton of a snake. Naruto noticed that Zabimaru gained many more and much larger segments, resembling a mix between a snake's vertebral column and the pick-like protrusions of his Shikai segments. It also gained a snake-like head about the size of a large carriage. Naruto also took note that like himself Sasuke's appearance also changed with the release of his Bankai, as he gained a fur cowl around his neck. The cowl appears to be the fur of an ape and an ape's skull can be seen over Sasuke's left shoulder, while the rest of the fur extends to cover his right arm.

Naruto was glad that the teme had finally unlocked his Bankai and now with Kakashi's help was discovering the power of it and what types of attacks he could use. Sasuke was proving he could be a very valuable asset in their upcoming fight against Madara and the remaining Akatsuki. Naruto smirked to himself, as he remembered Sasuke being blown away by the power of the initial release of his Bankai. What amused him about that was the sight of panicked and distressed Momo rushing over to help him and Sasuke blushing at the attention she was giving him.

'_The teme actually seemed genuinely embarrassed and apologetic towards the young girl for making her worry about him.'_ Naruto thought to himself in amusement.

Naruto was broken out of his musings when he felt a pair of smooth slender arms encircle his torso from behind and embrace him tightly, before he felt a soft kiss placed on his back. Turning around, he wrapped his arms around Hinata's waist and lifted the girl up to place a passionate kiss on her lips. After a minute, both Naruto and Hinata pulled away from each other panting for breath, as he lowered her back to the ground. Leaning forward until their foreheads were touching, Naruto smiled brightly at Hinata and stated lovingly.

"I swear Hina-hime, you keep greeting me like that and I may never leave this tent ever again."

Hinata sweetly giggled, before she placed a chaste kiss on Naruto's lips and pulled away and asked.

"What brings you here; I thought you were helping Sasuke to achieve his Bankai?"

"I was and I did, the teme is working with Kakashi-sensei right now. I just came back to get a change of clothes, before I go back and help them out."

"Oh, I was hoping you might have some time so we could talk."

"We have some time my hime, I don't have to go back right away, what's on your mind?"

Hinata nodded her head and sat down on the floor and Naruto followed suit sitting next to her. Clearing her throat and nervously exhaling a small sigh, Hinata looked over to Naruto and said.

"I wanted to talk about you and Yugito-chan."

Naruto stiffened a bit and his hand involuntarily went to the back of his head rubbing it, as he always did when he hesitant or nervous about something, before he stammered in response.

"Wh-what about Yugito-chan and me?"

"Naru-kun, don't be nervous, I'm not upset or anything with you." Hinata stated in loving assurance.

"O-ok, what exactly do you want to know?"

"Naru-kun, I know you have feelings for Yugito-chan and I also know that she has feelings for you. I just wanted to let you know that if you want to pursue a relationship with her, then you have my own and Ino's blessing to do so. We will not be opposed to it or cause you or her any trouble or problems because of it."

"I, I don't understand Hina-hime?" Naruto asked with a bewildered look plastered on his face.

"Ino and I just want you to be happy and if being a relationship with Yugito-chan makes you happy then we don't want you not to pursue it because of us."

"Are, are you and Ino dumping me?" Naruto stammered in a hurt tone of voice.

"No, no, we love you, that's not what were saying or doing!" Hinata exclaimed in a panicked voice.

"I'm still confused about all of this. Alright, before we go any farther in this conversation, I need to ask you about yourself and Ino. I would have asked this last night, but our…..activities sort of prevented any rational thought from me at that moment."

"I understand, what do you wish to know."

"Umm….well…how long have you and Ino been,…..you know…lesbians?" Naruto sheepishly asked.

"WE ARE NOT LESBIANS!" Hinata snapped angrily.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Naruto exclaimed frantically, while waving his arms in front of him.

Hinata merely closed her eyes and exhaled a deep breath, before she opened them again and in a calm voice said.

"No, I'm sorry Naru-kun, I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. The truth is my relationship with Ino is…..complicated, but I'll try to explain how it came to be the best that I can."

"As I said neither Ino or myself are lesbians not that there is anything wrong with that, it's just I'm not nor is she attracted to other females. Also I want you to know that I love you, you were my first love and the most powerful love I have and it's been that way my entire life."

"I love you to Hina-hime; I'm just confused about how you and Ino came to be?"

"I don't blame you, as we're a bit confused about it as well considering how quickly it happened. It wasn't something either Ino or I had planned on happening, it just sort of….did."

"So last night was the first time the two of you…"

"Hai, that was the first time Ino and I have been…intimate with one another in that way."

"So you're say neither one of you planned it and that happened quickly, but that still leaves the question of why did it happen?"

Hinata exhaled a heavy sigh, as she contemplated how to explain everything to Naruto about her and Ino, when she was still unsure of how to explain it to herself. Taking Naruto's hand into her own, Hinata began to speak.

"Initially Naru-kun, my relationship with Ino started off as friendship growing up. As we got older, that friendship grew stronger and the bond between us grew deeper, especially after Sakura ended her friendship with Ino because of Sasuke. And as that bond continued to grow, eventually a deep sisterly love began to develop between us. We didn't realize that our sisterly love might continue to grow into something more one day. I was in love and still am with you and Ino was first in love with Sasuke and then thought she loved Shikamaru."

Naruto winced slightly at the mention of Shikamaru's name in conjunction with Ino, as it inadvertently brought back some painful memories. Hinata saw this and gently cupped his cheek with her other hand and said with loving comfort.

"I said Ino thought she loved Shikamaru and she does, but not in the way that she loves you Naru-kun. Ino loves Shikamaru as a friend, nothing more, she just got confused about the love she felt for him."

Naruto kissed Hinata's palm and nodded his head to the Hyuga girl who continued on.

"When I was forced to marry Kiba, it was Ino who was there to help and comfort me during my marriage. And the love and bond that we felt for one another grew even stronger. Even to the point that when Ino asked me if she could pursue a relationship with you I gave her my blessing, even though it was killing me on the inside to do so."

"Then why did you do it?"

"I did it because I loved both of you Naru-kun and if you and Ino could make one another happy, I didn't want to deny either one of you that happiness because of me. I want you to know, that had I known what would happen between the two of you, I wouldn't have given my blessing to Ino. In a way, I'm just as much at fault for the pain you felt from your break-up with her, as well as the pain you felt when we broke up."

"You shoulder too much blame, what happened between Ino and me you had no fault in."

"Well, when it happened, it did put a strain on the relationship between Ino and me for a time. However, you know the old saying _'misery loves company.' _Even though I knew Ino had hurt you, who was I to judge her considering the pain I had caused you by my own betrayal. Eventually, we found ourselves trying to help one another through the pain and heartache we had inflicted upon ourselves of our own doing. And as we helped one another our love we felt for each other and for you continued to grow into something more."

"What do you mean the love the two of you held for me?"

"Naru-kun, you know that during my marriage that I never stopped loving you. Well I can tell you that during Ino's relationship with Shikamaru that she never stopped loving you either."

"Ok, but how did the two of you still loving me involve the two of you taking your relationship into something more, as you say?"

"Unbeknownst to me, Ino had recognized and started to develop feelings for me beyond the sisterly love we had developed before I did. It wasn't until we were both free from Kiba and Shikamaru and through some inadvertent encouragement on my part that she acted upon it."

"What do you mean?"

"After Ino arrived here, she and I had a conversation about my renewed relationship with you. It was during our talk that she revealed that she still loved you and that you were one of only two people in her entire life that she loved liked that. I pressed Ino and asked couldn't she find happiness with that other person?"

"What did she say?"

"She said that the other person has recently found someone else and that she wouldn't dare think of revealing her feelings to this other person for fear of ruining their friendship if she did. I wanted to see Ino happy and told her that even if this other person is in a relationship, she should still tell them her feelings and let them decide and well….she did."

"You mean…."

"Hai, Ino confessed to me that the other person she loved and cared for as much as she did you Naru-kun was….me."

"That must have come as a…surprise to you."

"It did, but what happened next was even more shocking."

"What happened?"

"Ino-chan…..kissed me."

"What did you do when she did that?"

"When it happened, I was too stunned to do anything, but after a moment, I pushed her away. I told Ino that I love you Naru-kun and I would never cheat on you, I'd rather die than do that to you."

"I thank you for that my hime, but what happened after that?"

"Ino broke down and apologized, fearful that she had ruined our friendship and that I now hated her. I told her that I didn't hate her and that I was just surprised and confused, because I thought Ino loved you."

"What did Ino-chan say?"

"She said she does love you, but that over the years as she and I grew closer as friends, she also started developing feelings for me while still being madly in love with you."

Naruto could only sit in muted silence, as he attempted to understand and process everything he had heard, before Hinata continued on.

"Naru-kun, I want to be completely honest with you. When Ino kissed me, it was like a switch went off inside of me. I suddenly realized that the feelings Ino-chan felt for me, that I also felt them for her. We both came to know that you are the only man either one of us would truly love and that each of us was the only woman either one could truly love as well. Does that make any sense to you Naru-kun?"

"Hai, it does Hina-hime, I'm not sure why it does, but I think I understand. So is that when the two of you decided you wanted to have a relationship between all three of us?"

"It wasn't really a decision between us, as I was the one to suggest that I would be willing to share you with Ino-chan. I know that sounds bad, but when we both realized that we held a deep love for one another and for you Naru-kun. Neither one of us could bear to see the other one in pain because we were with you and the other was not. I know Ino-chan genuinely loves both you and me and she knows that I genuinely love her and you. And because of the love we both share for you Naru-kun, is why Ino and I took our love that we felt for each other to another level. I know it was an impulsive act on my part, but for some reason it just seemed right to me, as it was the only way I could think of in which no one would be hurt. I'll end it if you want me to, because even though I do love Ino, I don't want to lose you over it."

"You don't have to do that hime, your solution to the situation was...unique, but I love you and Ino-chan and I'm willing to give the relationship a try."

"Thank you Naru-kun for giving the three of us a chance." Hinata gratefully stated, as she lovingly hugged Naruto in a warm embrace.

"Yeah well, there are a lot worse things in life than having to go to bed with two sexy and smoking hot ladies every night and the activities that are soon to…follow." Naruto commented in amusement.

"Naru-kun!" Hinata exclaimed in embarrassment, as she blushed furiously, before she asked.

"Naru-kun do love Yugito-chan?"

Naruto exhaled a sigh, before he stated in total honesty.

"I don't know Hina-hime, I do know that I care about her a lot and I feel a kinship with Yugito-chan due to our Jinchuuriki status and the life we've had to grow up in because of it, but I don't know if that's love yet."

"I understand, but please do me a favor if you would Naru-kun."

"What's that?"

"Find out your true feelings about Yugito-chan. Don't let the opportunity slip away to gain not only some happiness for yourself, but for her as well."

"But what if we do end up in a relationship; does that mean Yugito-chan needs to join in with you and Ino-chan?" Naruto asked, as a small rivulet of blood began to leak from his nose at the image of a naked Hinata, Ino, and Yugito laying on a large bed all of them beckoning seductively to him to join them that suddenly appeared in his mind courtesy of a snickering Kyuubi no Youko.

A smack to the back of Naruto's head broke him out of his stupor, as he heard Hinata sternly say.

"Naru-Kun!"

"Sorry…..sorry." Naruto apologized in succession, as he quickly wiped his nose.

"Now that I have your attention again, to answer your question, No, that doesn't mean Yugito-chan needs to join in with Ino and me. I already told you the special circumstances about our relationship. Besides, I've already spoken to Yugito-chan about that and she understands and knows she doesn't have to engage in that type of relationship with us if she doesn't want to."

"You've spoken to Yugito-chan."

"Yes, and I'm going to tell you the same thing that I told her. The two of you need to talk about your feelings for one another. I know you Yugito-chan cares very much for you, that is why Ino and myself don't mind sharing Naru-kun with you. Because if the two of you discover that you do sincerely love one another then, we want the both of you to be happy."

"I will speak to Yugito-chan, I promise Hina-hime." Naruto stated in honesty before asking.

"By the way, where is Ino-chan?"

"Well since Ino has become a part of our lives now, I thought she should get to know Nel-chan better. So, she's out playing with her and Yachiru right now."

"I hope she ate a full breakfast and lunch today, because those two bundles of energy will run her ragged if I know them, ha, ha, ha…argh!" Naruto cracked in amusement, while laughing, before he clutched his head in obvious pain.

"Naru-kun what's wrong?" Hinata asked in worried concern.

"My, my clone in the Spring Country has been destroyed; I just gained all of its memories. Hinata, I need you to gather all of our friends from the Leaf village, while I go gather all of the former shinigami's along with Yugito and Daisuke and have everyone meet me in the main tent asap."

"Hai, I'll do that, but are you sure you're alright?"

"I'll be fine; the sudden influx of information just stunned me for a moment. Please just go find everyone, as I need to share with all of them what I have learned."

As Naruto watched Hinata rush out of their tent, he exhaled a heavy sigh and a grim look spread across his face, as he reflected upon what he had just found out and all he could do was utter one word about the situation in frustration.

"Damn!"

* * *

A short time later, the main tent was filled with everyone from the Leaf village save for Kiba and all of the former Captain and Lieutenants of the Gotei 13, as well as Yugito and Daisuke. Everyone was curious as to why Naruto called for this emergency meeting and were talking amongst themselves. However, all conversations ceased when Naruto cleared his throat and announced.

"Ahem, I've called all of you here because the clone I had sent to infiltrate the Land of Spring and gather information about our enemy dispersed himself and I have learned of some valuable intel that I need to share with all of you."

"What did your clone learn?" Kakashi asked.

"Well the good news is that the Akatsuki followers under Madara number in the neighborhood of 125 to 150 with the majority of them being of low level Chunin strength. So we'll be relatively equal in numbers and strength with the men we've trained."

"Is there bad news?"

"Unfortunately Kakashi there is, as Madara has increased his ranks within the main Akatsuki with some new and very powerful members."

"Who has he added Naruto-sama?"

"The men he has added won't mean anything to you Shunsui, but they will mean a great deal to my Leaf village comrades, as they are old foes that we've fought before in the past. Madara has seen fit to add Orochimaru and Kabuto back into the Akatsuki."

A grim visage spread across all of the faces of all of the Konoha shinobi present in the tent. The shinigami took notice of this and realized that the two men Naruto mentioned must be very powerful and dangerous opponents. However, before anyone could ponder upon this news any further, Naruto's voice spoke up once more and said.

"Unfortunately, that's not the only additions Madara is making for the Akatsuki. Through use of his Edo Tensei technique, Orochimaru is planning on reviving two more very powerful warriors. He's going to resurrect Kakuzu and I'm sorry to say Kakashi he's also going to revive Obito Uchiha."

Kakashi stiffened a bit upon hearing that but maintained his composure, as Naruto continued on.

"Filling out the rest of the Akatsuki are Deidara, Zetsu, and of course Madara himself."

So that's seven really powerful guys, so what! Between you, me, Yoruichi, Shunsui, the demon cat chick and a couple of your buds from your village, we can match them person for person." Kenpachi commented in arrogant confidence.

"I wish that was the case Zaraki, but some of these men are extremely powerful and dangerous and it's going to take more than a one on one battle to defeat them."

"Not for me, you promised me a fight against a foe who could kill me and that's what I want. If any of you try to help me in my battle I'll kill you myself!" Kenpachi growled in threat.

"Alright, if that's what you want, then that's what you will get!" Naruto snapped in annoyance at the brutish former Gotei 13 Captain, before stating.

"As you know, my original plan was to have select individuals take on specific Akatsuki members and remove them….permanently."

"Has that now changed?" Yoruichi questioned.

"To a point it has, as some of you will be teaming up to take down an Akatsuki member and eliminate them. Also, I had planned to have Zaraki, Yoruichi, Shunsui, Kakashi, Sasuke, and Kurenai each be leading and having a platoon of troops at your disposal, that's now changed."

"Why has it changed Naruto?"

"It's changed because originally I thought Madara would have his Akatsuki followers set up in some type of units or platoons, but according to my clone he doesn't. His followers are all massed under one leader or Field General for the Uchiha."

"So do you want to dissolve the platoons we've set up and mass our troops together like Madara has?"

"No Shunsui, I actually think keeping the six combat platoons works to our advantage, as it will give us six points of attack onto one massed enemy. However, because I think all of us will be busy in attempting to defeat our opponents, we're not going to have time to command our platoons. So we need our own Field General to command all six platoons during the battle."

"Do you have someone in mind Naru-kun?"

Hai Hinata, the person I've chosen to lead the Crimson troops is Daisuke."

This caught the former bandit by surprise, as he stammered in response.

"Me? Are, are you sure you want me to lead your troops into battle Naruto-sama?"

"You're the best and most logical choice. You know the men better than anyone else in this room and know what their skills and capabilities are. You also know how far you can push them and according to Shunsui, Kenpachi, and Yoruichi the men respect you. I've no doubt you will be an excellent General for the troops Daisuke."

"Th-thank you Naruto-sama, I will not fail you." Daisuke stated in earnest, while bowing in respect towards Naruto.

"I know you won't; now I need you to look over the files of the six platoons and choose a single man from each platoon to lead that unit as one of your Lieutenants. Choose wisely, as you need men who are not only brave, strong, and smart, but also a man that the troops in each platoon will follow and respect. Also begin preparations to break camp, as I want our forces to leave tomorrow for the Spring Country."

"I shall attend to it at once Naruto-sama." Daisuke replied, before gathering the files and exiting the tent.

"Alright, I'm tired of waiting, I want to know which one of these Akatsuki assholes I'm going to be fighting and he better be powerful!" Kenpachi declared with impatience.

"Zaraki, the man you're facing is Kakuzu."

"Is he strong, can he possibly kill me in the fight? The eye-patch wearing shinigami asked, as he was almost giddy with anticipation.

"Yes he can, Kakuzu is almost impossible to kill and as for his strength, he once fought and survived against Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage and founder of my village, who is considered the strongest shinobi to have ever lived. This Akatsuki member has an extremely high combat prowess and a vast array of techniques, and he is also a complete psychopath. I can assure you that he will give you the bloody and violent fight you so desperately crave Kenpachi."

Kenpachi's response to hearing this was to grin wickedly from ear to ear in excitement.

"What about the rest of us? Sasuke questioned.

"After studying the various members of the Akatsuki, I've decided upon the following individuals and who they will face in the upcoming battle."

A pall of silence engulfed the room like a shroud of death, as everyone anxiously awaited to hear who their opponent would be. Naruto cleared his throat breaking the silence and announced.

"The leader of the Akatsuki is Madara and he will be your opponent Sasuke and mine."

Both Naruto and Sasuke glanced at one another before nodding their heads in agreement, as Naruto continued on.

"Kakashi, you will face….."

"I will face Obito!" Kakashi declared with authority leaving no room for debate by the tone of his voice."

"I figured as much, yes Obito will your opponent." Naruto replied with a smirk before continuing.

"Shunsui, you will face Orochimaru in battle."

The straw hat wearing shinigami merely nodded his head in acceptance.

"Yoruichi, you will face the snake teme's protégé Yakushi Kabuto."

"Sound like fun!" The Neko woman quipped.

"Don't underestimate Kabuto, because if you do, then you will be dead." Naruto warned in earnest.

"Kurenai-Sensei you will face along with Momo aiding you the Akatsuki member Deidara."

Kurenai and Momo looked towards each other and nodded,

"Ino, Ikkaku, and Yumichika will meet Zetsu in battle."

Ino glanced over at the bald shinigami and his effeminate comrade, before she nodded to Naruto.

"Finally, Hinata, Sakura, and Kira will man the Medical platoon. Sakura, I want to say thank you for helping us in this battle to free the Spring Country."

"Hai, Naruto." Sakura timidly answered, still unsure of what to say to her former teammate and boyfriend of long ago.

"What about me Naruto?" Yugito asked in confusion at the prospect of not facing an opponent.

"Yugito, with your speed in your Jinchuuriki form of the two-tailed Nibi, I need you to be a wildcard and go from battle to battle and help out if you see that anyone is in trouble in their fight."

"Don't even think about helping me out in my fight kitty-cat. If you do I will gut you like a fish in an instant!" Kenpachi threatened in warning.

"Fine, you can help everyone else except Zaraki!" Naruto groaned in annoyance, before adding.

"Now I want all of you to take these files I've got on each of your Akatsuki opponents and study them thoroughly. They contain all the strengths and weaknesses of your opponent and should provide you the information you need to develop a strategy against them."

As everyone gathered their respective files and began exiting the tent to go and study them, Naruto stopped Yugito and nervously asked.

"Ummm…Yugito-chan, I, I was wondering if you, you...would like to join me for dinner tonight?"

"You mean have dinner with you, Hinata, and Ino?"

"No, no, just you and me."

"Nar-Naruto-kun, are you asking me on a date?" Yugito stammered in query, hoping the excitement she was feeling wasn't evident in the tone of her voice.

"Uhhh,…well…ummm….I guess I am asking you out on a date."

"I, I would like very much to join you for dinner Naruto-kun."

Naruto smiled brightly, before he leaned down and kissed Yugito on the cheek causing her to blush madly, as he held the flap of the tent open for her and they joined the others outside.

* * *

**Author Note:** Well here is the first totally brand new and original chapter written by me alone for this story. Lol, I hope everyone got a laugh from the humorous title I came up with for this chapter. As so much of the chapter was focused on my attempt to explain the nature of Hinata and Ino's new relationship and have it make sense and be believable. I really struggled with writing that and ended up doing a ton of writing and rewriting because of it. Anyway, I hope all the work I did made meets with everyone's approval, as it was a difficult task at times. I also hope that everyone likes the choices I have made for which bad guy each of the good guys will be facing. Seven battles is a going to be a daunting task to write, so if any readers would like to offer their services to write one of the fight scenes. Just PM me and we can discuss it.

I'm anxious to see what your reviews will be for the chapter. I do wish to thank everyone both old and new readers who took the time to review my last chapter. For those of you who did review, you all had a lot to say about it and I'm pleased that this story has such a strong fan base with readers who actually write out well thought-out reviews. Because of that, I enjoy reading many of your reviews, so please leave lots of them, as they do help a writer get a sense of the thoughts and opinions of the fans of a story. They also can help lift the spirits of an author as well. Also, to any readers who are staff members to any C2 communities, please feel free to add my story to your community if you feel it is worthy of it. I won't mind, I swear. I'll even pinkie swear if I need to?

**Breaking News:**

In 2010, my fellow author brown phantom initiated a poll asking the following question.

**Who is the best Naruto fan fiction writer on this site?**

Upon completion of that first poll I finished a very respectable 8th to which I thank all of you who voted for me on that poll very much for making that happen. Now brown phantom has decided to run a second poll asking that same question. So I humbly ask if you feel I'm worthy of being one of your 10 author picks to please place a vote for me on brown phantoms second poll. I thank you in advance for your support and normally I would provide you the links to the profile pages for brown phantom for you to use. However, one of the "oh so wonderful" changes FFnet has recently made is making it more difficult to list a link anywhere even if it's a link on their own freaking site. So just do a quick search for the author, brown phantom. As I said I finished 8th on his first poll and I would be ecstatic if I could improve on that showing, but I will need all of your help to achieve that.

**End of Breaking News:**

Thanks to everyone for your support of this story and take it easy!

_**Kingkakashi **_

*****For those interested, my next update will be for my story "Supreme Genetics - Creation of a New Bloodline"


	29. The War vs The Akatsuki Part 1

**Do I Have A Purpose Anymore?**

**Chapter 29: "The War vs. The Akatsuki Part.1"**

Naruto decided to leave the women and children behind at the Crimson Bandit encampment for their safety and Daisuke had assigned a dozen of his most trustworthy comrades to guard the camp, while rest of its inhabitants marched with Naruto towards the Land of Spring. It would take a couple of days to reach the border of the Spring country, but Naruto was confident in the plans he had made that Princess Kazahana Koyuki and her people would be free from the Akatsuki very soon. Meanwhile, Kiba sat inside the prison pit of the Crimson Bandit encampment; he seethed with unbridled fury, as he remembered the conversation he had with Hinata and Kurenai the day before.

**(Flashback)**

Kiba looked up through the bars of the prison grate covering the prison pit to see Hinata and Kurenai standing peering down towards him. They were here because Kurenai wanted to offer her former student a chance to redeem himself by helping them to battle the Akatsuki and free the Land of Spring from their tyranny as they were doing. As Kurenai looked down, her gaze bore one of pity for her former student, while Hinata's cold hard glare did not hide what she felt for the Inuzuka heir. Kiba did not like the way they were staring at him and growled out in insult.

"What do you two bitches want?"

"I told you Kurenai-sensei, it's a waste of time trying to talk to him." Hinata stated in a cold tone of voice.

"Perhaps you're right Hinata, but he was our teammate and comrade for a number of years and we should at least offer him a chance to redeem himself."

"Redeem myself; I've done nothing that I have to redeem myself for, unlike you two traitorous whores for siding with the demon against me!"

"Watch your tongue Kiba!" Kurenai spat in angered response.

"Why should I, it's true! I can smell Kakashi's stink all over you sensei and Hinata's got the demons filthy stench all over her. Not to mention she's carrying that monsters baby, while purposely denying me a rightful heir the past three years you deceitful bitch!"

"The only monster or demon around here is you Kiba and as for denying you an heir, yes I did, but that didn't stop you from fathering three heirs from those civilian sluts you bedded during our marriage!"

"You, you know about them." Kiba stammered in surprise.

"Of course I know about them, did you truly take me for a fool. Initially I was angry with them, but now I just pity those poor women and their children, because of how carelessly you abandoned all of them to fend for themselves."

"They can't be heirs to the Inuzuka clan, as they are nothing but bastards. The only heirs that can be produced are from marriage and you betrayed me by denying me the chance to have any rightful heirs to the clan."

"That doesn't absolve you from accepting responsibility for your actions and taking care of the children you fathered!" Kurenai shouted in disgust.

"Fuck you, you're not from a clan so you don't know what the hell you're talking about sensei! Sensei, what a joke, I don't know why I'm even bothering to call you that? You're nothing but an over-the-hill kunoichi now!"

"This is pointless, let's just leave this mongrel to stew in his own filth, he's not worthy or even deserving of any chance at redemption anymore. The Kiba who once was worthy and deserving no longer exists in this pitiable wretch of a little boy anymore." Hinata declared to her friend and former teacher.

"You're right Hinata, because I don't even recognize this pathetic piece of trash, as once being my student anymore."

Both Hinata and Kurenai turned around and began walking away ignoring the rage-filled and insulting shouts and threats spewing from Kiba's mouth, as they left.

"That's right, go ahead and walk away you treacherous whores! When I get out of here and I will, I'll teach the both of you sluts what this little boy can do to you!"

**(End of Flashback)**

'_I swear, I'll make those two bitches pay for betraying me! First I'll fuck the shit out of Kurenai before I kill her! And as for Hinata, I'll keep her alive long enough to watch me carve that bastard demon seed she carries in her belly out of her!' _Kiba thought to himself in a psychotic malevolent rage.

It was then Kiba noticed the lone guard of the prison pit leave his post to relieve himself. Smirking to himself the Inuzuka heir put his plan into action. Having freed his hands earlier, he began flashing through a series of hand-seals and a moment later in a puff of smoke Kiba was no longer in the pit, but Akamaru now occupied it. When the guard returned a few minutes later, Akamaru barked to alert him of his presence.

"What the hell, where did that dog come from and where's the prisoner?" The guard asked himself in confusion; as he reached down to unlock the grate.

The moment the grate was lifted, Akamaru leaped out of the pit and his jaws clamped down onto the guards throat crushing his windpipe and tearing through his jugular killing him instantly. A second later, there was another puff of smoke and Kiba stood with blood smeared on his face, as he spit the flesh he had torn out of the guards throat out of his mouth and grinned smugly before saying to himself in appreciation.

"Man that was better than I could have imagined. That reverse version of the Juujin Bunshin (Beast-Man Clone) I've been developing worked out perfectly."

Kiba then knelt down and took the dead guards sword, before rising and sniffing the air. Once the Inuzuka heir fixated on the direction Naruto and everyone else had departed, he sprinted forward into the night to follow his former comrades and friends. His one lone purpose now in life to make them pay for what they had done to him.

* * *

As Naruto stood atop a hill gazing through a telescope at Madara's Akatsuki army marching through a valley, he smirked before he snapped the scope closed. Daisuke's strategy had been brilliant, as he had feigned the retreat of his troops perfectly into the valley. Madara's troops were overconfident as they marched after them, thinking the initial battle in which they seemingly overwhelmed the Crimson Bandit army had assured them of victory. Unfortunately, they never realized that the opening battle and retreat was merely a ruse on Daisuke's part to lead the Akatsuki followers into the valley. Daisuke had engaged the Akatsuki troops with only 1/3rd of his troops, as the other 2/3rd of the Crimson Bandit army was positioned in the high ground of the basin and were just waiting for the Akatsuki soldiers to march a little bit deeper into the valley. Once they were sufficiently inside, Daisuke would cut off both ends of escape, while his men on the high ground would begin their assault. And with their means of retreat cut off from them and Crimson soldiers holding the high ground, the Akatsuki army stood no hope of victory.

Naruto felt a bit of relief, as he realized that soon the followers of the Akatsuki would be no more. However, he was still a bit apprehensive about the individual battles soon to commence. For Daisuke's victory would mean nothing if any of the powerful foes Naruto and his comrades would soon be facing gained a victory. As any of them alone, could decimate Daisuke and the Crimson Bandit army if they were allowed to live to do so. That is why he said a silent prayer to Kami for everyone to be victorious, as he marched down the hill to where Sasuke was waiting for him.

It was a little after dawn when Naruto and Sasuke arrived at the battlefield where Madara was located, they paused to gaze at their foe. The elder Uchiha stood proudly across from them, his attire the form of the standard shinobi dress of his era, consisting of bright red traditional armor, which was constructed from numerous metal plates, formed into multiple protective guards along his body, in particular: chest, waist, shoulders and thighs. Unusually, his chest plate left his back entirely exposed, presumably so as to better display his clan's crest. This clothing was accompanied by boots and gloves, as well as an orange-colored war-fan called a Gunbai on his back that had the infamous tomoe pattern of the Uchiha Sharingan colored bright red, in both of the top corners.

As Naruto and Sasuke took in Madara's appearance, he was doing the same with them, as he watched them approach. Once his opponents got within 50 yards of him, the elder Uchiha stated with a sneer.

"I see you didn't come alone Namikaze legacy, I'm glad. Now I can extract my revenge on both you and my clan's traitor at the same time."

"The only Uchiha clan traitor here is you Madara!" Sasuke spat in disgust.

"Hardly, you betrayed me during the Fourth Great Shinobi World War and helped to ruin the Uchiha clan dream of the Infinite Tsukuyomi creating the perfect world."

"I never betrayed you Madara, you lied and deceived me into doing your bidding, but I learned the truth from Hashirama and broke free from being your toy to use as you saw fit. And as for your perfect world, don't you mean your perfect illusion, as freewill would have been forever extinguished if your Eye of the Moon plan had been allowed to come to fruition. It was never the Uchiha clan dream for that to happen, only yours. I helped to stop you then and I'll help Naruto to stop you now and end the threat you pose to the world once and for all!"

"This is the last time you will ever betray me Sasuke, for you will die by my hand this day."

"Naruto, what's our plan? Because I'm ready to kill this bastard right now." Sasuke asked, interrupting Naruto's thoughts.

"Have some patience Sasuke, we'll make our move soon enough."

"Hmph, feeling confident are we." Madara spat derisively at Naruto and Sasuke before disappearing.

Suddenly, Madara reappeared behind them and growled out while swinging his gunbai scythe fan in a murderous horizontal arc to lop their heads off.

"Would the two of you be so kind and die!...…."

Naruto and Sasuke quickly ducked and rolled out of the way, before Sasuke leapt up and began flashing through a series of hand seals and shouted.

"**Katon: Goukakyuu no jutsu!"** (Great Fireball Technique)

Sasuke then blew a stream of fire which erupted into a large sphere of flames towards Madara.

"What a pitiful strategy Sasuke, do you think I would be defeated by our own clan's jutsu?" Madara asked in contempt, before he shushin'd away.

"**Reppushou!"**(Gale Wind Palm Technique)

Naruto shouted, before thrusting his arms forward, as a powerful gust of wind erupted from his hands and impacted Sasuke's fireball causing it to expand and change direction towards where Madara had reappeared.

_'They're using a combination attack with Naruto's wind jutsu enhancing the power of Sasuke's fire jutsu, very clever.'_ Madara thought to himself, before swiftly going through some hand seals and calling out.

"**Gouka Mekkyaku no Jutsu!"**(Great Fire Majestic Removal Technique)

Madara then unleashed a large wall of fire from his mouth, which traveled over the ground and impacted Sasuke's wind enhanced fireball causing both fire jutsu's to cancel each other out. As both Naruto and Sasuke watched Madara counter their attack, they looked to one another and Naruto sighed before saying.

"Well teme, it appears he's going to be as much of a pain-in-the-ass to defeat, as he was during the Fourth Great Shinobi World War."

"You didn't honestly believe that it was going to be easier to take him down this time did you?"

"No, not really, but I was hoping." Naruto replied, while flashing his trademark grin at his friend and comrade.

"I sincerely hope that the two of you will put up more of a challenge than that? If not, then killing both of you won't have the same satisfaction for me, knowing that I had defeated such weak and unskilled opponents." Madara asked insultingly.

Both Naruto and Sasuke flinched slightly at Madara's biting jibe, before Naruto began to unwrap Zangetsu and Sasuke unsheathed Zabimaru. The two Leaf Jounin then glanced at one another and Sasuke asked.

"You ready dobe?"

"Yeah teme, let's do this!"

Then in the blink of an eye they disappeared, before the metallic clanging sounds of zanpaktou's clashing with a gunbai scythe fan echoed throughout the battlefield.

* * *

As Ino sat at a table in the command tent, studying the file on Zetsu for the upcoming battle; her thoughts straying to the last two years she had spent with Shikimaru. On several occasions she'd witnessed his ability to think about 200 moves ahead and even though his constant laziness was a sore spot, he'd made a conscious effort to try and teach her this ability to some degree. While he was still by far a better tactician, she hoped that she had learned enough to give her squad the edge they needed to win this fight tomorrow.

The two lieutenants assigned to her squad, Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa were there as well – Ikkaku standing against one wall with his sword on his shoulder and Yumichika sitting across the table from her, hands calmly folded waiting for her to finish.

Her initial assessment of the two was that personality wise, they were complete opposites –Ikkaku seemed like a smaller carbon copy of his commander, Zaraki Kenpachi – interested in fighting strong opponents in order to test his personal strength even at the cost of his own life. Yumichika did mention that he was the second strongest man in the 11th division, so that said something about how powerful he was.

Yumichika on the other hand was without a doubt the more intelligent of the two. Calm, cool and calculated he seemed interested in the file and her analysis of it. But under the surface she could feel the same drive and desire to face strong opponents in battle. His demeanor somewhat unnerved her; it was always the quiet ones you had to watch, as she thought to herself.

'_And I'm going into battle with these two__. __I'm not sure if that's a blessing or a curse__.'_

"Damn it!" she swore, before adding.

"There's something missing here…it's just too incomplete!"

"I'm sorry, Ino-san but I am a bit confused. Those files are supposed to have any and all intelligence we need to prepare for our upcoming fight. Why do you say there is something missing?" Yumichiki questioned.

"Just call me Ino please; same goes for you, Ikkaku. We're all on the same team so there's no need to be formal. It's not like it's going to help us on the battlefield."

"No problem. All I care about is fighting someone strong. Nothing else matters." Ikkaku gruffly stated.

Ino turned back to the file and said with concern.

"And as to why I said that…I looked through this report, and at best it contains intelligence that I already knew from the 4th Shinobi war. Looks like his powers are limited in scope but backed up by huge chakra reserves. His biggest skill is the number of clones he can produce. When we fought him in the war, the sheer number of Zetsu clones that Madara had at his command – along with the ability to copy an immobilized or killed ninja right down to his chakra signature – made him the most difficult problem we had."

"And one of the first and most basic principles we are taught is that overwhelming numbers can compensate for a lack of skills and techniques." Yumichika affirmed, before asking.

"Exactly how many clones did Zetsu produce to fight against your forces during this last war?"

Ino solemnly lowered her head and stoically answered.

"About one hundred thousand."

Yumichika sat silent. That was a VERY large number.

"Do you know how he managed to create so many clones for this war? Is there some kind of jutsu that does this?"

"Not to my knowledge, no. You can create clones, sure – but they usually cannot do much on the battlefield other than information retrieval. Shadow clones have some solidity to them, sure - but they disappear when they get hit once. The Zetsu clones were just like the original – solid, brutal…they could take a hit and keep coming. You could cut off the legs and the thing would crawl toward you and attempt to take you out. Only head shots or hitting the heart worked."

"Who gives a damn, numbers don't matter. I don't care how they die, as long as they can. I'll fucking kill them all." Ikkaku vehemently declared.

Ino looked at him incredulously before proclaiming in earnest.

"It matters to ME, dumbass. As an ANBU we're taught that information is just as important as skill to ensure your survival. I had an instructor at the academy who once told me 'chance favors the prepared mind'. The more prepared we are, the more CHANCE is in our favor and the LESS we have to rely on luck to win the battle."

'…_AND__, __The better chance I have to come back from this battle alive. I'll prove my love and worth to Naruto-kun and show him that I can protect him, just as he protects me. I just got him back, and I'll die before I lose him again.' _Ino said silently to herself before adding.

'_Besides…I still have to make sure forehead girl stays the fuck away from him.'_

"So how the hell do we get more info? It isn't like we can just waltz up to one of these assholes and say, 'hey – before we fight you, can you tell us about yourself so we can kill you easier?"

'_Ikkaku was right_, t_hey needed more information, but from where? The only place that might have that kind of info would be in Konoha, and they sure as hell weren't going back there anytime soon…' _Ino thought with apprehension.

Then she remembered something. Lifting her face, she looked at them both and said.

"I have an idea. Continue studying the file while I'm gone; maybe you'll find something that I've missed. I need to talk with someone who I think can help us out."

* * *

Yugito sat alone in her tent, lost in thought. In just a few short hours, she would be fighting the Akatsuki…the group that held her prisoner for eight years; demeaned her, used her…left her with nothing but pain and despair…and she was ready for revenge. Everyone else was studying the files with the data on each member, but she didn't need to. Being a captive of the Akatsuki, she knew their strengths and their weaknesses…

'_And I'll use it to my advantage in the most savage and deadly way I possibly can!'_

Her train of thought was broken by Ino's voice outside her tent.

"Yugito, may I come in? I need to talk with you…privately."

Granting permission, Ino entered the tent and sat down. Immediately, Yugito's Jinchuuriki senses told her that Ino was tense and hesitant, almost as if the conversation was going to be about something that was very uncomfortable.

"Yugito, I came to ask your help with something."

Ino paused a moment to choose her next words carefully.

"I know this is difficult to talk about, considering…well, past events. But is there anything you could possibly tell me about Zetsu? Anything that might be helpful? The intelligence report on him compared to the other Akatsuki members is sparse at best, and for some reason I'm getting the feeling that there's something missing...something important."

"Something missing? I'm not sure what you mean? What do you think is missing from the data that you have?" Yugito questioned in confusion.

"I'm not sure, but what's in the file is basically stuff we knew about from the 4th shinobi war. Compared to the files on the other members...Orochimaru's file is 4 inches thick and hell, Madara's file could practically be considered a small novel. But the file on Zetsu, it's maybe one half inch thick. You have his phasing ability…his ability to copy the appearance and chakra signature – and to a lesser extent their skills – of an enemy that he's killed or incapacitated…and the fact that he can create an absurd amount of real, substantial clones to fight on the battlefield. All in all, his skills don't seem like much but if he's got an advantage of sizeable numbers with him this battle is going to be difficult, if not impossible to win."

Yugito listened to Ino, and the anxiety in her voice. She knew that Ino had seen battle as an ANBU operative…sure, she'd probably even killed. And even though she probably knew the answer to her next question and where this conversation was going, she asked it anyway…

"Why are fighting this battle Ino?"

"I'm, I'm fighting this battle for Naruto-kun. He was kind enough to forgive me for the pain my betrayal caused him and give me a second chance with him and I want to….."

"And now you want to prove your worth to Naruto-kun in battle. Now that he has given you another chance, you're afraid of NOT coming back from this battle and the promise of a life with him. Does that sum it up?" Yugito stated interrupting the blonde kunoichi.

Ino looked at her and answered.

"Yes, I will protect him and those who are precious to him, just as he protects us. But I also want them to pay for what they did to you and make sure that they never threaten you or Naruto-kun ever again."

Satisfied with the answer, Yugito nodded and said.

"So, what do you want to know?

"Anything that I haven't already summarized. I really don't want to bring up any…unpleasant memories for you, but whatever you can provide to me that'll help my team survive this would be very helpful."

Yugito sat thoughtfully for a few minutes, recounting every experience she had with Zetsu over her eight year imprisonment. After a few minutes, she sighed and said.

"There's not much else to tell other than what you already told me. To be honest, while I hate all of the members of the Akatsuki and would love to see them all banished to the deepest pit of the seventh hell, my reason for hating Zetsu are much less…carnal than the rest."

"I'm not sure I follow you, what do you mean?" Ino asked in curiosity.

"I mean, Zetsu was violent, sadistic, cruel…But while the rest of the members of Akatsuki used me as their personal sexual plaything, Zetsu never seemed interested. He just enjoyed being sadistic." Yugito replied, before cocking her head to one side and added.

"Now that I think about it, it might explain a few things regarding his ability to make clones…"

"You saw him make clones, did you see the jutsu he used?"

"It wasn't a jutsu. Basically, he gathered a portion of his chakra and essentially…split in two, creating a copy of himself. I think Madara said that his ability came from the First Hokage."

"What? How so? That doesn't seem to make any sense!" Ino exclaimed in bewilderment.

"Well, if I remember correctly, I once overheard Madara say that he created Zetsu using cells from Hashirama Senju. He had some bloodline limit that apparently no one else has been able to copy, and he wanted this ability for himself. So he created Zetsu solely for the purpose of harnessing this ability to use for his own purposes."

Ino thought about this, and suddenly something clicked. She had what she needed. She hugged Yugito and commented.

"Thank you, I think you just gave me what I was looking for. I need to get back to my team mates and finish the mission briefing. Good luck on the battlefield, Yugito. I wish you a safe return."

As Yugito watched the young blonde kunoichi race out of her tent, she was unsure as to what information she provided that was so vital or important, but if it helped ensure that Zetsu died a slow, painful death…

"Then whatever I said was worth it!" Yugito openly declared to herself.

* * *

Ino returned to the command tent to find Ikkaku and Yumichika there, studying the file. Well, Yumichika was studying it. Ikkaku was still in the same place he was when she left. Sitting at the table again, she asked with interest.

"So now you've had a chance to look over the file. Find anything that I missed?"

Yumichika sighed and commented.

"After careful inspection, I have to agree with your earlier assessment. His skills don't seem like much, but his large chakra reserves will make the battle difficult. The main issues that we have to prepare for are his ability to copy his enemies and the large number of clones he can produce. Other than that, we simply have no information on how he accomplishes this. It is not a jutsu, as you explained earlier and the skill seems to be limited to him only. Therefore it has to be related to his heritage and inherited by blood."

Ino was impressed with his analysis and thought to herself.

'_It_ _looks like I need to fill in the blanks after what Yugito told me.'_

Looking at them both, she commented.

"I agree with you, but his ability isn't related by his heritage or blood. Well, not in the traditional sense…If what I was told is correct, Zetsu doesn't create his clones using a jutsu. I think he creates clones by _growing _them."

Ikkaku and Yumichika looked at each other in confusion and then looked back at her asking.

"Care to repeat that?"

"Like I said – he _GROWS_ clones. Zetsu was created by Madara from cells of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju. The skill he possessed was Mokuton (wood release); a combination of earth and water elements and Zetsu is growing clones using the same process. He's basically a plant, and creates clones using an accelerated growth technique."

Ikkaku grunted in response.

"Kinda makes sense, I suppose. I mean, the thing does look like a big fucking Venus flytrap plant."

Ino filed that little bit of information away…funny how she missed that considering her family owned a florist shop.

"I think I've got a plan on how we can win this fight. However, I need to know what kind of skills you both possess in order to make it work. Tell me everything. Leave nothing out."

Ikkaku and Yumichika looked at each other and nodded. There would be no secrets.

Yumichika went first and calmly said.

"Okay. Let's talk about Kido first."

* * *

Dawn found the squad of Ino, Ikkaku and Yumichika at the edge of a forest before a large clearing. Everyone was silent; Ino waiting patiently for one of them to ask the question she was sure was on both of their minds. It was Ikkaku who broke first and asked.

"Remind me again why we're attacking the castle across a wide open space, just begging to be fucking ambushed?"

Ino sighed in response before answering.

"I don't like it much more than you do, but based on what we know about Zetsu, his major strength – aside from his large chakra reserves – is his ability to create clones of himself. That means he'll be defending the biggest wide open area that they have. This is the best odds we have of fighting the enemy we've been assigned."

"I concur. However, this brings up two points. One, are we not providing him with the best opportunity to use his clone technique against us? And two, does this not defeat our purpose of stealth?"

"Yes and no Yumichika. We should have an advantage due to the cold. Since he's basically a plant, cold weather slows him down. This should give us the edge regarding the number of clones he can produce."

"So basically you're saying girl that we're going up against an enemy that can create a shitload of copies that may or may not have some of our skills, on his home turf, probably killing us in the process."

Ikkaku smiled after his statement and then shouted in glee.

"SOUNDS LIKE MY KIND OF FIGHT!"

A second later, he launched himself into the open field straight for the castle.

"Ikkaku, wait! A tactical approach would be best…" However, Yumichika's words fell on deaf ears, as he looked at Ino and commented.

"He never was a rational thinker. We have no choice but to follow him at this point."

"Damn it! Let's go. Hopefully he hasn't screwed this up for us."

Halfway to the castle, the group stopped. Rising from the ground was a creature that was black and white, a cruel grin stretched ear to ear over serrated teeth. Small spikes protruded from various points on his body. It appeared that their theory was correct, as it spoke.

"Enemies of Akatsuki, I will kill you all in the most extreme and painful manner possible, before I absorb your bodies and consciousness into mine. You cannot win."

"Says you half moon, one of you isn't even close to being able to take me out. I was told that you can do much better than that…" Ikkaku tauntingly declared.

Zetsu smiled and three dozen copies rose out of the ground, as he asked.

"Does this meet your expectations?"

They all calmly drew their swords, waiting for the group of clones to charge. Ikkaku broke out in a smile that was eerily similar to Zetsu's and screamed with delight…

"NOW THAT'S MORE LIKE IT!"

* * *

As the battle raged on, Ino wondered if she had underestimated their opponent. She danced in between her opponents using everything she learned from her time in ANBU, combat instincts coming to the fore and subconsciously controlling her actions. Stabbing a clone in the chest, she turned around and swiftly decapitated another one. Wheeling to the side, she sent poison coated senbon into the chest of two more before jumping back to an open area to regroup.

'_It's a shame that I'm not that good at elemental ninjutsu_, i_t would really help in this fight. My mind body switch technique won't do me any good here_.' Ino thought to herself, as she darted back in to take on the next group of clones coming at her, she couldn't help but notice the other two under her command and how different their fighting styles were.

Yumichika was graceful, almost elegant in how he moved and flowed in-between his opponents. His sword never stopped and seemed to flow in constant movement…decapitating a clone, the sword never stopped and he spun to his right, slashing downward through the middle of the next, splitting its heart. He continued spinning, kicking the next one away from him before his sword came up from the ground splitting the next clone in two from the opposite direction. A slight smile on his face, his style portrayed that the beauty and grace of the kill was just as important as the kill itself.

In stark contrast, Ikkaku mirrored the ferocity of his commander, Zaraki Kenpachi. He wasn't concerned about the beauty of the kill but the brutality. Charging straight in to a group of clones, he swung his sword overhead with vicious force cleaving a clone in two. Turning, he cut another one in half at mid chest, then performed a roundhouse kick to a third so powerful, the chest exploded. Ikkaku was grinning savagely, laughing maniacally with bloodlust, as he was having the time of his life.

Finishing off his last clone, Ikkaku turned and stared at the last Zetsu standing. Glaring at him with massive killing intent, he proclaimed in supreme confidence.

"You better have something else up your sleeve, because if that's all you got it ain't enough!"

Zetsu looked at him and calmly replied.

"Perhaps you would like to up the ante? Would this present more of a challenge for you?"

Snapping his fingers, 100 more Zetsu clones rose from the ground intent on killing the three of them.

"Heh, you want to up the ante? Well, I can do that too."

Ikkaku then slammed his sword and its sheath together at the ends and loudly exclaimed.

"Extend, Hōzukimaru!"

Immediately, the sword and the sheath seemed to spin and they merged into a naginta (staff with a spear on the end).

"Think you got what it takes to put me down? I bet you won't even scratch me." The former Gotei 13 lieutenant boasted.

Silently, Yumichika sighed. He really wished that Ikkaku would shut the hell up sometimes and not make the situation worse. However, he agreed with his comrade that it was time to take it to the next level. Holding his blade out in front of him, he calmly announced.

"Bloom. Fuji Kujaku."

Instantly, his sword blade split into four, and he held it at the ready, waiting for the clones to charge him.

Zetsu smiled and stated in mirth.

"I accept your wager. But I assure you that once I do manage to scratch you, you won't like the results."

* * *

Something was wrong. Very, very wrong.

The battle continued to rage, and Ino knew that somehow she had missed something. The clones just kept coming with no signs of stopping. They didn't slow down. They didn't get tired. And her squad would end before they did.

As Ikkaku and Yumichika continued to fight she wondered how he was still managing to create clones in this cold. The ground was covered in snow, and the temperature HAD to be below freezing. As a botanist, one thing she knew from working all of those years in her parents' floral shop was that plants _HATE _cold. They hibernate. Sometimes they die. But they cannot grow and reproduce in sub-zero temperatures.

Yet somehow, the clones just kept coming…faster, and in greater numbers. What did she miss?

Ino had little time to think about it as the battle raged on. She pulled out an exploding tag and shoved it in the mouth of the nearest clone, then kicked it into another large group. Making a ram sign, the tag exploded – and took several more with him. As she turned to meet another group of them, she saw a large number of clones charge at Ikkaku. Spinning Hōzukimaru, he sliced two in half before stabbing a third in the chest. With the clone still impaled on the spear, he turned and threw it at another oncoming group of clones to give him a small breather. However, before he could throw the impaled clone off of his weapon, it's hand came down and slashed at his face…scratching him ever so slightly… _Just enough to draw blood._

As if that was what they were waiting for, all of the remaining clones jumped back and regrouped around the fallen clone. The nearest one bent down and grabbed the hand that had scratched Ikkaku, looking at the blood glistening on its claws. It brought the fingers to its mouth, licking the blood, smiling as it savored the taste…

…and the remaining clones reformed into perfect copies of Ikkaku, each one holding a sword.

Ino blanched. As a sensor, she could feel the chakra signatures of the clones and knew that they were perfect copies. They felt much more menacing and powerful than before. No matter how you looked at this, it wasn't good and she knew what Zetsu had been doing since the beginning. He wanted Ikkaku's blood because he was clearly the strongest of the three of them, and having it so that he could create perfect clones of him was his plan all along. She wondered how he would react to this.

And surprisingly, Ikkaku…laughed.

"Guess you finally figured out that the only one who can beat me…is me, huh? You better bring your 'A' game, 'cause I still haven't played my trump card…and _YOU'RE STILL GONNA DIE_."

The original Zetsu stood at the back of the group, unchanged after the rest of them changed. Looking at Ikkaku, he commanded.

"Very well, clones…kill him first. Make the others watch as he cries for help and perishes, knowing his efforts in the end were futile."

And the group of Ikkaku clones charged the real thing…faster than they thought possible.

Ikkaku barely had time to kill the first one, before the second clone punched him in the gut with tremendous force, doubling him over. Then a third clone followed up behind that one, landing a vicious kick underneath his chin, launching him high into the air.

Ino and Yumichika watched in what seemed like slow motion as Ikkaku arced into the sky, only to be met by a half-dozen clones that lifted their left legs high in the air before smashing them down on him as one, rocketing his body back into the earth with devastating results. The force of the impact was so great that it left a large crater about 30 feet in diameter and about four feet deep, with what seemed like a broken and bloody Ikkaku at the center.

Ino rushed to help him, shouting.

"Yumichika! Keep the clones away from me for a minute while I heal him!"

Yumichika jumped to the forefront, swinging Fuji Kujaku and reaping the heads off of the clones like a farmer harvesting grain from his fields. He was pumping chakra into his movements to make him fast enough to take on so many, but he knew he couldn't keep up this pace for very long.

Ino jumped to the middle of the crater, grabbing Ikkaku and looking for any signs of consciousness. Kneeling next to him and making a few hand signs, her hands glowed green as she quickly scanned his vitals. Even though there was plenty of blood on him, nothing appeared to be broken. Even though her chakra reserves were running low, she quickly fixed some of his smaller injuries before waking him up.

Ikkaku blinked a few times before attempting to push himself up asking.

"Ugh. What the fuck just happened? Did dandelion boy just knock me out?"

Attempting to catch her breath, Ino rocked back and placed her hands on the ground before saying, "Yes. Those clones of you charged…" Eyes wide, she stopped in mid-sentence because she was shocked to discover that where her hands had touched the ground in the crater, _**the dirt was warm**_. Not shockingly so, but certainly above freezing.

'_How? How could there be snow on the ground, covering everything yet the dirt a foot or so beneath the surface is warm? And furthermore, why would it be warm?'_

Ino thought in confusion, before she then remembered a comment Ikkaku made during the mission briefing.

_**The thing does look like a big fucking Venus flytrap plant.**_

And several things clicked into place…

Out of all of the clones they had seen since arriving on the battlefield, they all missed the fact that not ONE of them looked like a venus flytrap plant. That meant that they hadn't seen the REAL Zetsu yet. Every one of them – including the one at the back of their formation – were copies.

And Zetsu was a plant…and plants hated the cold because they couldn't grow or reproduce in it, which meant…..

Zetsu was still underground, using his chakra to keep the earth warm about a foot or so below the surface so that the snow covering the field wouldn't melt and everything would appear normal. This way, no matter how many clones they killed he could survive…and that's why the number of clones he was producing wasn't slow like she thought it would be and she silently cursed at herself.

'_Son of a bitch_, _I'm a fucking idiot. If Shikamaru were here he would kick my ass for missing something so important. He's played us this whole time. He's still underground hiding, creating clones and waiting for us to exhaust ourselves before consuming us. We need to force him out of the ground to the surface to finish this.'_

The problem was that he could be anywhere underneath the ground. They needed a wide ranging attack to find him. Suddenly, she had an idea but needed to talk to Yumichika –that Hado skill of his might be able to finish this…

Turning swiftly to Ikkaku, Ino said.

"Zetsu has been hiding underground this whole time. I've got an idea of how we can flush him out, but I need you to take on his clones for a minute or so and let me talk to Yumichika. Can you do it?"

Ikkaku stood wearily, saying.

"Just watch me. And I suggest you stand back, because I'm playing my trump card and it's gonna get messy…"

As Ino ran to Yumichika, Ikkaku turned to Zetsu and grinned ferociously, as he yelled.

"Hey, asshole! You want me, come get me! But I'm not gonna make it easy on you…let's see how you handle this!"

Holding Hozukimaru in front of him, he pointed the spear at the Zetsu clones and shouted.

"Bankai!"

Instantly, the area around him became a twister of power, growing ever taller, radiating skyward. The force of the blast was enough to throw the clones away from Yumichika, who was struggling to maintain his advantage and was bleeding from a large gash on his forehead.

When it settled back down, Ikkaku stood at the center, with three large guillotine like blades over his shoulders and arms. Still grinning, he looked at Zetsu and stated.

"Bankai. Ryūmon Hōzukimaru (Dragon Light Demon Spirit). "

Holding the blades out in front of him, he boasted.

"You still think you can take me down? These blades will cut through anything. And the longer I fight, the easier it gets!"

Zetsu stared at the former shinigami a moment before he calmly replied.

"I am certain of it. Time has no meaning in this battle, because regardless of how long it takes YOU WILL FALL." As he completed the statement, more clones rose from the ground, each looking exactly like Ikkaku.

"Nnnnniiiiiccccceeeee…..let's dance, freakshow!"

Ikkaku shouted, before he jumped into the middle of the fray, blades swinging in a wide arc slicing clones in half like a hot knife through butter.

Watching the insanity unfold in front of her, Ino was momentarily stunned but managed to recover once he attacked. Those blades looked unbelievably heavy and she had no idea how long he could last. This idea she had better work, and work quick or they were finished.

"Yumichika, are you all right? Can you still fight?"

Panting heavily, the effeminate shinigami answered in labored effort.

"Yes, I think I can. I'm just a bit winded from the effort."

He looked at where the battle was taking place, and commented.

"Ikkaku doesn't break out his Bankai every day. He must be fighting with everything he has because he believes that this battle may be his last."

Looking at up at Ino, he questioned with concern etched in his voice.

"Do you have another plan? At this point I have no strategy in mind as to how we can win this."

"Yes, I do. But quickly, I need to know – do you know any spells that produce instant cold? I'm talking sub-zero temperatures over a very large area?"

Yumichika thought for a moment and said.

"Yes. There is a Hado spell that I know that can accomplish this. However, I will need a moment to perform the incantation to ensure that the size covers the intended area. Why do you ask?"

"No time to explain in detail." Ino said. "But here's what I need you to do…"

* * *

Ikkaku was growing tired, but he refused to show it. Even though Hōzukimaru could cut through anything in its Bankai state, it was extremely heavy and exhausted him quickly. He knew that he didn't have very long before he was overwhelmed by an army of Zetsu clones, and they would absorb him as fodder for future battles against his comrades. The thought that his essence would be used against people who he'd fought beside made him sick to his stomach.

And then Ino jumped back into the battle, slashing her sword through clone after clone. Cutting two in half, she turned and sliced another through the head at the eyes. Then she threw several senbon at the nearest clones, hitting them in the chest. Immediately, they started to turn brown and shrivel.

Zetsu seemed amused at this and asked, "I am curious…what did you do to those senbon? I haven't seen you use them in the fight before now, and they appear to have a rather strong poison coating them. I thought I was immune to such…"

"Not poison, Herbicide. I'm a botanist; my parents own a flower shop. You don't think I'd know how to kill a weed in the quickest manner possible? I just haven't used them up until now because I only have a limited supply."

Zetsu smiled slightly at this, and spoke with unbridled confidence.

"Then you must have realized that this battle is coming to an end. There is no further hope for you or your comrades. Why prolong the inevitable? Join me and be part of Madara's new world order."

Stabbing another clone through the chest, Ino declared in equal confidence.

"I'm not even close. We're going to win this thing despite your overconfidence. I WILL protect those who are important to me."

While Ino was keeping Zetsu busy, Yumichika landed in the middle of the crater that was created by Ikkaku when he fell. Gathering his chakra, he began to incant…

_**Endless night, barren days and shadowed hours**_

_**Taking promise and hope, leaving chilling thorns**_

_**And bitter breath of naked sky. **_

_**Frozen winds and darkened breeze pierce**_

_**The soul of all things living.**_

_**Life becomes still, hard as stone, **_

_**Buried beneath an icy tomb…**_

With each incantation, the power level of the attack increased. When he reached the final verse, he thrust his hand into the ground and shouted.

"_**Hado number 57. Creeping Winter."**_

Radiating out from his hand, the ground that had been so warm before became icy white. It spread rapidly over the field, underneath the blanket of snow, freezing everything that was hidden.

As soon as Ino heard him finish, she turned and yelled to her comrade in arms.

"Ikkaku! Get out of here NOW!" Turning, she ran towards the edge of the clearing as fast as she could. However, looking back she noticed that despite his efforts, Ikkaku was being swarmed by what seemed like a battalion of clones. He wasn't going to make it. And if she tried to save him before the spell was complete, she would be caught as well and killed. She watched helplessly as Ikkaku and the clones he was fighting were encased in a tomb of ice.

The spell continued to expand, freezing all of the clones where they stood, killing them instantly. This gave them a small reprieve, until they heard a scream of pure agony and Zetsu – THE REAL ZETSU – rose out of the ground. Several parts of him were missing; the edges of the wounds brown from the cold. Parts of his body fell to the ground, devoid of life. He glared at them with undisguised hatred as he held his body together with what was left of his arms.

Before he could even utter a word, Ino sprinted back into the clearing, grabbing a special Kunai from her pouch and hurling it with all of the force she had left in her weakened body. It impacted into Zetsu's stomach, immediately turning the surrounding area brown and spreading.

He looked at her with defiance and commented in derision.

"Poison again? I'll have you know that it will take more than this to kill me, Konoha bitch!"

Bruised and bloody, Ino smiled wearily and replied.

"I thought so. That kunai had the most powerful herbicide I know on the blade. But that attack wasn't meant to kill you, just slow you down."

She jumped next to Yumichika, who was panting heavily from the exertion of the Hado spell. She took the last food pill she had out of her vest and shoved it into his mouth. She looked at him and ordered.

"Use everything you have left. Finish this."

Gathering the surge in strength the food pill provided, Yumichika walked forward out of the crater and stood staring at Zetsu. Lifting his sword, he closed his eyes and announced.

"Split and deviate. Ruri'iro Kujaku."

From his blade, dozens of vines erupted and shot out towards Zetsu. Weakened by the poison, he had no strength to dodge and was quickly ensnared. Struggling was useless; he couldn't move, couldn't phase through them. And as he watched, flowers on the vines began to bloom and he felt his body slowly grow weaker.

At that moment, Zetsu felt something he hadn't felt in a long time…..._**FEAR**_.

"What…is this? What have you done?"

"Do you see the flowers? That's your soul power in there; your essence. It's what accounts for your very existence. As the flowers grow, they will steal more power from you. Struggling will only make the vines tighter. Any power you use will only make them bloom faster. And when these flowers bloom, they will have absorbed your essence. And your life – such as it was – will come to an end, Zetsu." Yumichiki explained to the dying Akatsuki member.

As Zetsu looked at them, his vision began to grow dark. Feeling his life force ebb, all he could do was listen to the final words of Ino, as she watched him breathe his last breath.

"For Yugito. For Ikkaku. And for Naruto. Know despair as you wither and die."

"Farewell Zetsu, may you rot in hell for all eternity."

As Ino and Yumichika watched the plant-like Akatsuki member expire, they both heaved a weary sigh. Their gaze then turned towards their fallen comrade Ikkaku and as much as they would have liked to have stopped to mourn the passing of their comrade, they both knew they didn't have the time to do so, as Ino addressed her comrade in a respectful manner.

"Yumichika, I'm sorry about your friend, he was a great warrior and we couldn't have won this fight without him, but we'll have to mourn Ikkaku-san later. Right now we need to get to the castle and free Princess Kazahana Koyuki. If we rescue her then the Akatsuki won't be able to use her as a hostage anymore."

Yumichika could only nod his head in understanding, as he took one last look at his comrade frozen in a block of ice, before he and Ino took off running towards the castle.

* * *

Sasuke raised his zanpaktou and swung it forward shouting.

**"HOWL, ZABIMARU!" **

Instantly, his normal sized katana transformed into segmented blade with a pick-like protrusion on each segment. The Uchiha then swung his newly altered blade in an arc above his head and Madara noticed the sword seem to elongate due to the stretchable threads giving it the pliability of a whip. This whip-like blade shot forward with blazing speed towards the elder Uchiha and struck where he was standing causing the ground to shake, sending dust and debris into all directions.

"That finished him." Sasuke commented with a sigh of relief.

"Guess again, foolish kinsman!"

Madara growled out, as he suddenly appeared behind Sasuke and took a lightning fast swing with his gunbai. The bladed fan sliced through Sasuke's back and a searing pain quickly shot throughout his whole body, causing him to hiss as he leapt away cursing.

"Son of a bitch!"

Just as Madara was about to follow up on his attack on Sasuke, he heard Naruto shout above him.

_**"Getsuga Tenshō!"**_

Naruto's zanpaktou sliced through the air in a downward arc releasing a highly condensed crescent moon wave of spiritual energy from the tip of the blade, which magnifying the slash attack flew forward towards Madara. The attack hit the ground narrowly missing Madara by a fraction, as he barely shushin'd away in time and the strike sent a huge cloud of dust into the air.

Naruto landed next to Sasuke and helped him to his feet, while asking in concern.

"How bad are you hit teme?"

"Not bad dobe, I don't think it's too deep a cut."

"Well it's your own fault, weren't you the one chastising me earlier about thinking it might be easier to take him down this time and then you go and let your guard down thinking you had nailed him!"

"Alright, I don't need a scolding from you to know I screwed up."

As both Sasuke and Naruto turned their attention back towards Madara who was brushing some dirt off of his armor, it was Sasuke who asked.

"What do you want to do now? We've tried to take him down using our kenjutsu skills and that didn't work. Now he's evading the Shikai powers of our zanpaktou's with relative ease. Should we activate our Bankai's?"

"No, not yet, I know it seems like we're at a stalemate against Madara, but we need to wear him down some more, before we use our Bankai trump cards on him."

"Ok, I can't disagree with that plan dobe. I just hope the others are doing better in their fights than we are doing against Madara."

"Stay focused teme, we can't afford to think about the others right now. We just have to trust that they will be alright, as their fights won't even matter, if you and I end up losing our battle against this bastard. Because if we don't win this battle, then Madara can take everyone else out in a heartbeat by himself." Naruto declared in a stern, but also concerned tone of voice.

"Well, let's get round two started!"

Sasuke announced in confidence, before he and Naruto disappeared and resumed their fight against the former Uchiha patriarch.

* * *

**Author Note:** Well here is the start of the climactic battles between Naruto and his forces against Madara and his army of bad guys. First off, I need to gratefully thank my reader serious-sam for offering his help to me on this story. I would say 99% of Zetsu versus Ino, Ikkaku, and Yumichika battle was written solely by him. The meager 1% I provided was more for cosmetic reasons than actual content of the scene. I think serious-sam did a fantastic job writing that fight, which I considered a most difficult one to do considering the characters involved. However, he managed to produce a fight that was exceptional from the strategies, action, and ultimate climax finish he did with Ikkaku's death and Zetsu's defeat. I feel serious-sam has set the bar high for the rest of the battles that will take place. I can't thank him enough for his help on this story and the awesome work he provided for it.

I'm anxious to see what your reviews will be for the chapter. I do wish to thank everyone both old and new readers who took the time to review my last chapter. For those of you who did review, you all had a lot to say about it and I'm pleased that this story has such a strong fan base with readers who actually write out well thought-out reviews. Because of that, I enjoy reading many of your reviews, so please leave lots of them, as they do help a writer get a sense of the thoughts and opinions of the fans of a story. They also can help lift the spirits of an author as well. Also, to any readers who are staff members to any C2 communities, please feel free to add my story to your community if you feel it is worthy of it. I won't mind, I swear. I'll even pinkie swear if I need to?

**Breaking News:**

**I'VE BEEN PLAGIARIZED!**

It was recently brought to my attention that someone had stolen major sections of chapters 2 and 3 of my story "Naruto vs. Sasuke: The Aftermath" and posted it as his own work. Several of you have reported him to FFNET and I thank you for that. However, FFNET once again showing how much they truly care about its members and readers have yet to do anything about this thief. It might be a moot point on my part, but I ask all of you if you would be so kind to report this person to FFNET Administration. The link to this "writers" story is at the top of my profile page, since freaking FFNET won't allow me to list the link here even though it's a link on their own web-site!

Perhaps if maybe a few dozen people report him, FFNET will finally do something about it. I don't know, but it's worth a try I guess and I thank all of you in advance who do report him.

In 2010, my fellow author brown phantom initiated a poll asking the following question.

**Who is the best Naruto fan fiction writer on this site?**

Upon completion of that first poll I finished a very respectable 8th to which I thank all of you who voted for me on that poll very much for making that happen. Now brown phantom has decided to run a second poll asking that same question. So I humbly ask if you feel I'm worthy of being one of your 10 author picks to please place a vote for me on brown phantoms second poll. I thank you in advance for your support and normally I would provide you the links to the profile pages for brown phantom for you to use. However, one of the "oh so wonderful" changes FFnet has recently made is making it more difficult to list a link anywhere even if it's a link on their own freaking site. So just do a quick search for the author, brown phantom. As I said I finished 8th on his first poll and I would be ecstatic if I could improve on that showing, but I will need all of your help to achieve that.

**End of Breaking News:**

Thanks to everyone for your support of this story and take it easy!

_**Kingkakashi **_

*****For those interested, my next update will be this story or "Supreme Genetics - Creation of a New Bloodline"


	30. The War vs The Akatsuki Part 2

**Do I Have A Purpose Anymore?**

**Chapter 30: "The War vs. The Akatsuki Part.2"**

"Damn it!" Sasuke openly cursed in frustration, as he dodged yet another powerful katon jutsu from his elder kinsmen.

Looking over to Naruto, he saw his friend was also forced to do the same thing. Their fight against Madara had been one of attrition and much to the chagrin of the elder Uchiha; he was slowly, but surely beginning to lose the fight. However, Madara would not be defeated so easily and had taken refuge inside his own Susanoo defense, when Naruto and Sasuke had been little by little wearing him down during their battle against him.

Madara boasted to the two young shinobi that his Susanoo was absolute in power and undefeatable. And unfortunately that appeared to be the case, as Madara had Naruto and Sasuke on the defensive the moment he called upon the infamous Uchiha technique. This is why after surviving several close calls fighting against the elder Uchiha, while he was protected and attacking in his Susanoo form, Sasuke signaled Naruto and both of them shushin'd away from Madara to try and quickly formulate their next strategy against him, as Sasuke asked.

"What do we do now dobe? Your plan of wearing him down was working, up until he called upon his Susanoo technique. And since he's using that technique he's now practically unbeatable!"

"There you go again teme, bragging about some supposed unbeatable Uchiha technique. Instead of sitting there bitching about it, why don't you activate your own Susanoo to help us defeat the old bastard and his technique?"

"I don't know, my Susanoo is powerful, but in comparison to Madara's it's nowhere near as formidable as his."

"Then I guess we need to add something to your Susanoo to increase the attack power."

Sasuke looked on in awe, as Naruto created several shadow clones who immediately began to gather natural energy for him and then have them disperse to transfer their natural energy to him. Meanwhile Naruto looked over to Sasuke who gasped when he saw his friend's eyes had reddish-orange pigment markings around them and horizontal, golden slitted-pupils, showing his mastery over his Sage form, as he said to the young Uchiha.

"Sasuke, I need a little time for the clones to gather natural energy for me, before they disperse to transfer the energy to me to use as Sage chakra."

"What are you going to do when you've got enough Sage chakra?"

"I'm going to create a Sage-Art Odama Rasengan, but I need you to activate your own Susanoo technique and hold off Madara for a short time. Then when I'm ready, we'll hit him with a combination Susanoo and Rasengan attack. Maybe a combined attack using two of our most powerful techniques can put a dent into his Susanoo."

"Alright, I'll do my best to hold Madara off, but don't take too long."

A nod from Naruto indicated he understood and Sasuke sprinted forward activating his Mangekyou Sharingan and a moment later he was surrounded by his own Susanoo technique. Madara in his Susanoo form began to charge forward, but had to stop and raise his techniques blade to block an arrow fired from Sasuke's technique. The younger Uchiha began firing off arrows in rapid succession to try and keep Madara at bay. Unfortunately, Madara was still moving forward, albeit slowly, as he blocked or dodged the arrows Sasuke was shooting at him.

Naruto watched what was happening with great concern and created a few more shadow clones to increase the speed of the natural energy being gathered. After a couple of minutes, Naruto felt his clones had gathered enough energy and dispersing all of them save one and the two of them began the process of creating the Sage-Art Odama Rasengan. Once he and the clone had formed the massive Rasengan to sufficient size and power, he shouted out.

"Let's do this Sasuke!"

Naruto's cry momentarily distracted Madara and Sasuke fired off three arrows from his Susanoo Mangekyou Sharingan defense in quick sequence. Madara's due to him being briefly distracted was barely able to block the first arrow from Sasuke, but not the second one as it dislodged the Susanoo sword. And before the blade could be recovered, the third arrow impacted the chest of Madara's Susanoo, followed a scant second later by Naruto's Sage-Art Odama Rasengan.

As Naruto unleashed his giant Rasengan, he prayed that this combined attack with Sasuke would be enough take down or at least injure Madara. Because if it didn't, Naruto knew that calling upon two of the most powerful attacks he and Sasuke had in their arsenals would deplete their chakra levels significantly. As the joint attack struck, the resulting explosion sent a small mushroom cloud of debris into the air and could be seen, heard, and felt for miles around them.

* * *

What was once a land filled with nothing but snow, the scenery had suffered a dramatic change. One could take a seat and make a nice painting out of the exuberant scenarios of Spring Country. However, as two individuals faced each other in a clearing located between two mountains, neither minding two cents about this place. If anything, considering the battle that was soon to start, this piece of land will certainly suffer a lot of damage. Kakashi had both his hands in his pockets, as he eyed his former genin teammate and his best friend in front of him. Uchiha Obito was essentially the same way as four years ago when Konoha managed to beat the Akatsuki. He was still wore the famous black robe with red clouds, with the exception of his orange swirling mask, which happened to be broken four years ago when Naruto slammed a Wind Rasengan into it, smashing it to pieces. Kakashi could see Obito's Sharingan and Rinnegan as well. Everything appeared to be the same as before, so Kakashi at least concluded that his opponent's skills were the same as back then, which actually was a lot.

"Why did you come back, Obito?" The wind picked up after Kakashi's question and Obito only released a snort at the question.

"Revenge Kakashi, a simple word, but a word that has kept me going, while everything and everyone I ever cared about was taken away from me."

Kakashi just stared at Obito, carefully matching his eyes.

Of course, Kakashi knew what Obito meant; actually, he knew _whom _Obito was referring. Ever since they were genin, Obito was passionate about their third teammate Rin and remained so, even after his presumed death at the hands of Iwagakure. Kakashi also remembered the episode that transformed his best friend to what he was now. His professionalism was not enough to keep Kakashi from suffering about what happened back then when a Jounin army from Kirigakure cornered him and Rin a long time ago. Despite facing his old teammate once more and despite knowing that what happened back then wasn't his fault, Kakashi couldn't help but take responsibility for it.

"What happened with Rin back then…" Kakashi began to speak, but Obito rudely stopped him.

"I don't care what you have to say Kakashi. You and I have already had this conversation once before. I know damn well what happened on that day, I was there remember. Above all, when I died, I met with her once more and she told me the truth. This is why I hate you for helping to destroy Madara's Infinite Tsukuyomi plan for the world."

Kakashi's only visible eye widened, as he looked at his long lost friend in the eye upon hearing this, before Obito cried out in a pain-filled and sorrowful fury.

"It's not fair! Rin didn't deserve to be captured by Kirigakure and have the Sanbi sealed away inside of her! She didn't deserve that her body wouldn't be able to restrain the beast for long and that Kiri intended for the beast to be inside Konoha and destroy just like it happened to the Kyuubi! And she didn't deserve to have to sacrifice her life on that fateful day, when she threw herself in front of your attack in order to save the village!"

Kakashi felt Obito's voice grow in volume at each sentence, while the deceased Uchiha remembered how lost in rage he was when he saw the event before his eyes.

"Tell me something, Kakashi."

The scarecrow Jounin looked up from the ground, waiting for Obito's words.

"Do you remember what I asked of you when I gave you my sharingan eye?"

Of course, Kakashi remembered, he'd recited it in front of the Hero Stone almost every day.

"I told you to watch out for her, to protect her from harm, but you didn't. I have received a blessing from Madara-sama for another chance to exert my revenge. So prepare yourself my old friend…."

Kakashi flinched when Obito used his space-time ninjutsu, vanishing from his usual position. Kakashi stood there waiting for the attack that came when Obito materialized a few meters behind him, throwing windmill shuriken. Kakashi wasted no time and with speeds that surprised Obito, Kakashi finished a short series of hand seals, before slamming both hands on the ground. Kakashi learned after seeing how Itachi performed hidden from view hand seals. It was quite ironic how an Uchiha would practice a certain move to keep the sharingan from fully anticipating it.

_Doton Doryuuheki (Earth Release: Mud Wall Technique)_

The giant shuriken onslaught hit the wall of earth and Kakashi wasted no time, before closing the distance to Obito and engage in taijutsu. Obito always favored mid to long-range techniques and tended to use his space-time ninjutsu far too often. As soon as Kakashi passed through Obito, he attacked once more. He learned about Obito's fighting style and thus was able to attack at the same time when Obito materialized once more to hit him. Kakashi thus hit Obito's stomach, sending him skidding a couple of meters. The scarecrow Jounin pressed forward using the same strategy, when his gut told him to abort just as Obito lifted his right arm.

_Mokuton Sashiki no Jutsu (Wood Release: Cutting Technique)_

Kakashi's eyes widened when wooden sticks suddenly materialized from Obito's arm and pierced his chest. He wasn't even aware that Obito was able to use mokuton. A small drop of blood left his mouth as Obito's mouth twisted to a maniacal glee as he savored the death of the one responsible for Rin's death. So sure of Kakashi's death was Obito that he ignored the slight moving of earth, behind the mud barrier created by Kakashi earlier. The Kakashi that Obito stabbed was suddenly enveloped by thousands of bolts, frying Obito.

_Raiton Kage bunshin no Jutsu (Lighting Release: Shadow Clone Technique)_

The real Jounin stood by, watching Obito fighting the pain that enveloped him. No doubt, Obito was unaware that anyone could attack him like this. Kakashi needed to form a direct link to Obito to use this technique, so he needed to receive his old friend's attack head on. Since Obito's body was mixed with one of the Zetsu, his body was extremely weak against lightning. When the lightning current stopped, Obito got up from the ground, trembling. He looked at Kakashi with narrowed eyes. Once more, he extended his arm and much to Kakashi's surprise and memory, he was suddenly pulled towards his former teammate. It was the same technique Nagato used when he attacked Konoha four years ago. He saw Obito using his space-time ninjutsu and throw a barrage of kunai at Kakashi. Kakashi quickly lifted his headband and with his Mangenkyou Sharingan, sent the kunai to another dimension. He then summoned a kage bunshin, before going through hand seals.

_Raiton Raiden no Jutsu (Lightning Release: Current Technique)_

Kakashi and the clone formed a chain of lightning as he flew towards Obito, who had to abandon his attack and simply allow Kakashi to pass through him. After dismissing the bunshin, Kakashi faced Obito for a while, still with his Mangenkyou Sharingan activated. After winning against Akatsuki, for years ago, Kakashi decided to extend his time with the Mangenkyou activated. He looked at Obito with his sharingan and could see how different Obito was now. Kakashi could see the rips in dimension because his Mangenkyou is the same as Obito's. Therefore, he was able to anticipate when Obito would use his space-time ninjutsu.

"You've improved since last time, Kakashi. But no matter, even if you found a way to kill me, you forgot that I'm already dead."

Kakashi narrowed his eyebrows at Obito's statement, before he scoffed and stated.

"Your attempts of prolonging the fight is useless Obito, I'm well aware of how the Edo Tensei works."

Kakashi focused the Raikiri on his right hand and charged at Obito with great speed. Obito went through hand seals, before using his space-time ninjutsu in conjunction with fire manipulation. He sent a massive vortex of fire in Kakashi's direction, but the scarecrow Jounin simply dodged the incoming flames and continued on his path. He saw the moment Obito initiated the space-time ninjutsu initiating and increased the speed. When he delivered the blow, he was able to slice Obito's arm off, before seeing it re-grown because of the Edo Tensei. Kakashi cursed his second delay.

"I see; your Mangenkyou Sharingan follows my real movements. After all, you and I share the same eye, but my position stands Kakashi, you cannot kill me."

"Can I give it a shot?" A strange feminine voice reached their ears, before Yugito appeared in her second transformation, unleashing a concentrated bijuudama on Obito.

Kakashi jumped away immediately, as the attack hit Obito dead on and it carved a gigantic hole in the once beautiful valley. Yugito looked at Kakashi and nodded at him, before going towards the other fights. Kakashi nodded at the help and focused on his sharingan to see if Obito was damaged in any way. Kakashi wanted to accompany the attack, if he was to seal Obito's body afterward. The image of Obito's body appeared from the smoke. His entire outfit was damaged, but his body appeared to be clean.

"That was a dirty trick, Kakashi. I thought you wished to fight me alone." Kakashi snorted at that.

"You wish to lecture me about fairness Obito. I'm not even going to waste my time with an answer." Kakashi threw a couple shuriken, before going through hand seals.

_Shuriken Kage Bunshin (Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique)_

Obito narrowed his eyes at the usage of the Sandaime Hokage's special technique, while his sharingan worked hard to pinpoint their designated target. Normally, he would simply use his space-time technique and simply watch the projectile pass through him, but Kakashi wouldn't waste chakra in doing such a chakra taxing technique without taking everything into consideration. He realized that his old comrade did take his ability into consideration and immediately switched tactics, using the Rinnegan's ability to repulse objects. The force of gravity was enough to repulse all the projectiles, before Obito faced Kakashi once more.

"It's futile, Kakashi. There isn't a single thing you can do that I don't have a counter for it. I…."

Obito stopped talking, as he suddenly felt Orochimaru's control of him through use of the Edo Tensei disappear, meaning the Snake Sannin had meant his end and a small smile spread across his face. The timing of Orochimaru's death couldn't have been better, as Obito was about to unleash the berserker state of the Rinnegan, which allowed him to always defeat a much stronger opponent. And as powerful as Kakashi was, Obito doubted that even he could survive such an attack and he was grateful that he was no longer being compelled to use it.

Truthfully, he had never wanted to return to the world of the living let alone fight Kakashi once again. All Obito wanted was to return to the afterlife and if Kami would allow him to, be reunited with Rin once again. Turning back to Kakashi he suddenly found that his movement was restricted. He looked down and narrowed his eyes in appreciation Kakashi's little trick. Obito was annoyed after what he saw, as he couldn't believe that Kakashi would use this on him. As he felt his entire chakra capacity drain from his very body, the veins in his eyes threatened to bulge, as he looked at Kakashi who looked down in pity.

One of the shuriken used by Kakashi for the shuriken kage bunshin was laced with a specific fuuinjutsu formula.

The projectile would land closely to the enemy and ensnare the enemy, not only binding him in place, but also sucking all his chakra. The reason Obito was annoyed was because of the person that actually invented this technique in the first place. Even if the Yondaime Hokage was famous for his fuuinjutsu, Rin was the only one of his students to take an active interest in learning fuuinjutsu. Obito even remembered the time when she came up with the idea to Minato-sensei and how thrilled she was when the Yondaime Hokage and Kushina praised the girl for it. Obito even remembered how he wanted to be the one to embrace Rin and congratulate her for it. Obito didn't even realize the tears that fell from his eyes, but he heard the unmistakable sound of Kakashi's Chidori technique, as he said with sadness.

"You always wondered why I did everything, Kakashi."

Kakashi's arm was entirely filled with lightning chakra, as he waited for Obito's final words.

"This entire world is a fake. Everything that happened to me, to us, everything happened because of the system created by the shinobi. Just like Rin didn't deserve to die, you didn't deserve to stand in front of a tombstone wishing things could go different. Even what you did right now is fake in my mind; using Rin's technique against me. Through Madara's plan, everything would have been different. Rin wouldn't be dead and we would be like how we should have been all along, but that isn't the case, so go ahead and finish it!"

Kakashi didn't say anything and charged at Obito, before plunging the Chidori right in Obito's chest and he said with sorrow.

"Goodbye my old friend, I hope you and Rin can find the peace you both deserve in the afterlife."

"Goodbye Kakashi and thank you." Obito gratefully replied, before he closed his eyes again forever.

"I wish I could say anything to ease your mind and heart, Obito. Sadly though, there is nothing I can think of. Even after everything you did, you weren't trying to win this fight were you. You never once called upon your Rinnegan powers to battle me and I know now all you wanted is to be with Rin again. I hope the two of you find one another again and know that I will always consider you both precious loved ones that I have lost in my life." Kakashi openly proclaimed, the pain, grief, and regret he felt evident as spoke.

Kakashi took a separate scroll from his pouch and sealed Obito inside. Inside the scroll was the soul detachment seal used to bind a soul inside.

A lone tear rolled down Kakashi's face, while he thought of his former friend and teammate and wished that things could have gone differently, as he put the scroll away. However, before Kakashi could mourn once again the loss of his comrade a massive explosion echoed through the landscape and the ground he stood on shook for a moment. Looking towards the direction the explosion had come from, Kakashi saw a mushroom shape plume of smoke and debris rising towards the heavens on the distant horizon. The copy-nin knew that was where his former students were battling Madara and he immediately took off towards them, as he thought to himself.

'_Hang-on guys, I'll be there soon. I once made a promise to always protect the both of you and Sakura when you were my students. And even though you're no longer are my pupils and have grown up, I will still protect all of you with my life if I have to.'_

* * *

As Naruto and Sasuke rose from the ground coughing to expel some of the dust from their combined attack on Madara, they looked over to where the elder Uchiha had been standing. As the dust and debris finally began to settle so they could get a good look, their eyes grew wide in shock. For their stood Madara still surrounded by his Mangekyou Sharingan created Susanoo defense. However, though Madara's Susanoo still stood, that wasn't to say that Naruto and Sasuke's joint attack hadn't damaged the supposedly invincible technique, as one could see many cracks and fissures in the black-colored skeletal type frame that encompassed its body.

"Damn it, how can that damn thing still be standing?" Naruto cursingly questioned.

"I told you dobe, that Madara's Susanoo was freakishly powerful." Sasuke replied.

"Yeah well it still looks like we damaged it teme. Maybe if you hit him again with one of your Susanoo arrows it might finally bring that behemoth down."

"I wish I could, but my Susanoo was shattered protecting the two of us from the explosion of our attacks. And I don't have enough chakra right now to use that technique again. What about you, can you hit him with another Sage-Art Odama Rasengan?"

"I could try, but it would take me even longer to gather up enough natural energy for a powerful enough attack and I doubt your kinsman will give us the time for me to do that."

Suddenly, Madara's voice rang out on the battlefield.

"You're right Namikaze legacy, your attack was indeed powerful and I won't let you utilize the time you need to hit me with another. I will compliment the two of you, as no one has ever damaged my Susanoo to the extent you two did since the days I fought Hashirama Senju. However, though it is damaged, as you can see it still stands. So if that's the best the two of you can do, then both of you should just give up and accept your defeat by my hands with honor. I swear upon the Uchiha name that I will make your deaths as quick and painless as I possibly can."

"Sorry Uchiha-teme, but that's far from the best we can do!" Naruto shouted in defiance of Madara, before he turned to Sasuke and said.

"I think it's time to play our Bankai trump cards now."

"I agree."

A moment later, both young shinobi stood proud and tall next to each other and glared momentarily at Madara, before they each ran a hand along the length of their blade and shouted in unison.

"BANKAI!"

In a brilliant flash of smoke and light the appearance of both Naruto and Sasuke changed dramatically in front of Madara's eyes. Naruto's Anbu attire was replaced with a long-sleeved, ankle-length black coat with red lining, which is closed at his chest and left to flare out into ragged ends, much like the spiritual form of the Zangetsu blade itself. The coat is actually a part of Naruto's Bankai, and the damage it can take is directly proportionate to the remaining strength and level of his reiatsu.

Meanwhile the zanpaktou also transformed when Bankai is activated and went from its Shikai form of a blade nearly as tall as Naruto, which is colored black with a silver edge. The sword is invariably broad at the hilt, but tapers progressively and radically to a needle-like, triangular tip. However, Zangetsu's new appearance when Bankai is called upon is radically different, as the blade has shrunk down to a long sword with a completely black-colored blade. It also possesses a cross guard that has four prongs bent out to form the shape of the manji. The blade itself can endure even the strongest of attacks, making it quite effective in blocking and deflecting incoming attacks. The new blade is also very strong and sharp and can cut through nearly any substance. And instead of the cloth his Shikai form had, a short length of chain with a broken link at the end now dangles from the base of the hilt.

Sasuke's transformation was no less spectacular, as Zabimaru into a massive version of its Shikai form, resembling a skeleton of a snake. However, Zabimaru gained many more and much larger segments, resembling a mix between a snake's vertebral column and the pick-like protrusions of his Shikai segments. It also gained a snake-like head about the size of a large carriage. Meanwhile, Sasuke's appearance also changed with the release of his Bankai, as he gained a fur cowl around his neck. The cowl appeared to be the fur of an ape and an ape's skull could be seen over Sasuke's left shoulder, while the rest of the fur extended to cover his right arm.

**"****_Roar Zabimaru...…Hikotsu Taiho!" _**(Baboon Bone Canon)

Sasuke then whipped Zabimaru towards Madara and the massive jaws of its snake-like head opened and a ball of reiryoku momentarily appeared in its mouth, before it erupted into a dense blast of the concentrated spiritual energy heading directly towards the elder Uchiha. Madara quickly raised his Susanoo sword to block the attack when he suddenly heard Naruto yell.

_**"Getsuga Tenshō!"**_

As before, Naruto's zanpaktou sliced through the air in a downward arc releasing a highly condensed crescent moon wave of spiritual energy from the tip of the blade, which magnifying the slash attack flew forward towards Madara. However, this time the potent blast of reiryoku was not electric blue in color, but was now black with a red outline and Naruto seemed to control the path of the blast, as it raced towards Madara with even more explosively augmented power and speed than before.

As both Sasuke's and Naruto's attacks struck the raised Susanoo blade, Madara gritted his teeth and grunted in strained effort to hold back his foes assault. Suddenly, Madara's eyes grew wide in disbelief and for the first time in a long time he actually felt…fear. As he watched his Susanoo blade begin to crack and then a moment later break and he screamed, as Naruto and Sasuke's Bankai attacks hit his Susanoo Mangekyou Sharingan defense…..dead on.

* * *

While the battle between Naruto's Crimson army and Madara's Akatsuki army went on, two people observed it from a safe distance. However, these were no mere observers of course; they had a purpose to their idle waiting and a vested interest in the battles outcome.

"Which side do you suppose is going to win Orochimaru-sama?" Kabuto asked.

"At first I would have said Madara's army, since I know more about what Akatsuki followers can bring to the battle than what the Kyuubi brat's army can. However, after watching how this battle has played out, it's a foregone conclusion that the Akatsuki followers will be defeated.

"Are you certain of this outcome Lord Orochimaru?"

"Unfortunately I am, as Naruto's army had the element of surprise and therefore an advantage. And the man Madara chose to lead is army has proven to be a fool."

"What do you mean?"

"The famous Chinese Military Strategist Sun-Tsu once said that, _If the enemy holds the high ground, do not ascend and do battle with him._ Now tell me Kabuto what do you sssssssee?"

As Kabuto gazed at the battle, he understood what his Master was talking about, as he watched the men of the Akatsuki army attempt to attack Naruto's army in the valley they had been led into. However, Naruto's men held the high ground of the basin and as the Akatsuki men attempted to ascend and battle them they were being cut down. Naruto's battlefield General had also cleverly cut off the Akatsuki army means of retreat, trapping them within the valley. Kabuto looked over to Orochimaru and said.

"I understand now my lord."

"It matters not, those fools are inconsequential and nothing but fodder. The real battles involve the true men of power like Madara and myself. Truthfully, it's meaninglessssss to me who wins this Akatsuki war, as in the end it will not matter, for I will be the one to truly claim victory."

"You still have to face the side that remains standing. Both will be weakened, of that there can be no doubt, but we can't assume the remaining army won't still be able to fight back to some degree." Kabuto warned.

"I know, and personally I hope it's the Kyuubi brat who wins. Fighting Itachi was difficult enough; I'd rather avoid fighting Madara if I have to, even if he's worn out."

Both of their danger senses went off all of a sudden, and both jumped away from their posts just before a blast could hit them. There was a large explosion of energy, but the two criminal ninja were not affected by it.

_'Someone tried to attack me from behind.'_ Orochimaru silently realized.

The Snake Sannin wondered who would be brave enough to face him during a war and what he saw surprised him. As it was not a fleet of warriors or even a standard squad of three or four. He simply saw two people, one man and one woman.

_'They sent only two people after me, how insulting.'_ Orochimaru thought with disgust, as he studied his would be foes.

The man could not have been younger than thirty-five. He had a thin face with a dark short beard and it looked like his hair was in a ponytail but it was hard to tell since he wore a satchi hat over it. He wore a black kimono but the most obvious feature was the pink floral kimono he wore over his shoulders. On both sides of his hips there was a sheathed sword.

The woman looked like she was between the ages of twenty-five and thirty-five. She had purple hair that reminded Orochimaru of Anko only her ponytail was longer and more ladylike. She wore an orange top and black pants with shin guards and the colors of her outfit reminded Orochimaru of Naruto's own apparel.

"Orochimaru and Kabuto, just the guys we were looking for." Shunsui stated.

"You plan on killing ussssss?"

"Yup, as ordered by Naruto-sama, you two are to die before you can get involved."

Orochimaru laughed, before he spat with disdain.

"You sssssserve that boy? You can't be any threat to me then. What are you, starving bandits hoping to earn a little cash from him?"

"Nope, just your average shinigami." Shunsui answered.

"Shinigami?" Orochimaru and Kabuto repeated, not expecting that.

"Were you expecting us to look like Onis or something or maybe skeletons in robes?" Yoruichi asked in amusement.

"Prove you're shinigami." Orochimaru insisted.

"Not interested. We're just here to kill you." Shunsui nonchalantly declared.

Right away Yoruichi came at the two missing Nin aiming to strike down either one of them. Being the henchman that he is Kabuto felt the need to intercept her. Chakra scalpels ready he thrust out his arm as soon as she got close, but she grabbed his arm and used it as leverage to jump and give him a swing-kick to his face. As he lost his balance Yoruichi used Kabuto's body as a springboard to jump higher, and she got above Orochimaru.

"Oh no you don't…..Sssssssstriking Shadow Sssssssnakes." Orochimaru cried out, certain she was aiming for an attack for one of his blind spots. Holding up both arms several snakes appeared and lunged at her in the air. Orochimaru smirked, certain she couldn't dodge fast enough.

"Shunpo." Yoruichi said, then glowed bright white and vanished, blinding Orochimaru and his snakes.

Kabuto's eyes were hurt by the light too but he could see well enough to tell that Shunsui was coming right at his master.

_'She was just a distraction.'_ Kabuto deduced, before getting up, he ran towards Shunsui, who saw him and stopped, but he held out his two swords as if to dare the medic ninja to continue on.

_'These two are trying to keep their attacks coordinated.'_ Kabuto silently noted, seeing Yoruichi reappear and look ready to back up Shunsui.

_'It will be better if we separate these two. And I think I know how.' _

Then without further warning or claim, Kabuto started to run off, heading into one of the nearby forests.

"Damn, don't let him get away." Shunsui told Yoruichi.

The former Shihouin heiress nodded and announced.

"I'm on it."

"Just you and me Snake man." Shunsui causally said to Orochimaru, who could see just fine now.

"No, it's just me." Orochimaru countered.

"I had a feeling you'd say something like that." Shunsui replied, as he placed his swords in a cross stance and chanted.

**"Flower Wind Rage and Flower God Roar, Heavenly Wind Rage and Heavenly Wind Sneer. Katen Kyokotsu." **

A moment later, his two swords glowed and morphed. Now they were two black scimitars with silver edging on the cutting sides, and red tassels at the ends of the handles. The one in his right hand looked to be a bit longer than the one in his left.

"Impressive." Orochimaru complimented.

"You didn't think a shinigami carried around just any sword now did you?" Shunsui asked.

"I still find your claim of being a shinigami highly unlikely. But on the off-chance you're being honest I'd love to take you back to my lab to experiment on."

Shunsui rolled his eyes and stated.

"Great, you're this world's version of Mayuri. Don't tell me you have a poisonous sword of your own too."

Orochimaru grinned like a snake about to eat a mouse.

"Actually, yes I do." He opened his mouth and a snake head came out.

"Snake head coming out of a mouth. Sounds like something you'd see in an alien, not a person."

Shunsui noted referencing an old movie he had seen in the future in the realm he knew as World of the Living.

_'Not sure what that makes __this__ world but it's definitely not the same realm.'_

The snake then opened its own mouth and out came a sword handle. Orochimaru grabbed the handle and pulled the rest of the blade out, somehow not cutting the snake itself, and when he had it out the snake retreated back inside.

"This is my sword Kusanagi. One of the strongest swords in the world and is said to have killed a dragon in the past. And like you happened to guess, is quite poisonous to those it cutssssss."

Shunsui sighed and said with annoyance.

"Great, here stands a mad scientist with a pale complexion, poisoned sword, and likes to brag. You're so much like Mayuri it's scary."

"What's there to be afraid of? After all, if you're a shinigami you're immortal." Orochimaru taunted, still disbelieving the claim.

_'I saw a shinigami once when Sarutobi-sensei took my arms and this guy is no shinigami.'_ The Snake Sannin thought with unwavering confidence, as he came at Shunsui aiming for his left side, hoping to wound rather than kill as to keep the guy alive for future purposes.

"I don't recall ever saying I was immortal." The pink-cloaked Soul Reaper said when he blocked the strike using a pincer move with both of his swords.

"Sssssso you're saying you're a mortal shinigami?" Orochimaru asked, puzzled by the idea. To him it was too much of an oxymoron.

Shunsui gave the Snake Sannin a firm look and answered.

"I've lived ten times longer than you have, maybe longer. I was one of the first shinigami taught how to do the job by my honored sensei Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto, but I'm not immortal, no shinigami is. Maybe your culture says otherwise, but that doesn't mean it's true."

"Then you're of no use to me." Orochimaru declared, as he got his sword free and made another strike and shouted.

"I desire immortality, not mere longevity!"

Shunsui blocked and slashed with his free sword. Orochimaru maneuvered his body to barely avoid the cut and asked.

"Why can't you mortals ever be satisfied with the lifespan you were given? If Kami-sama wanted you to live forever don't you think he would have let you?"

"I'm not even sure there is a Kami-sama." Orochimaru challenged, and then repeated the hidden shadow snake move to attack Shunsui.

"Well just to warn you, there is indeed a hell." Shunsui said while cutting the snakes.

Orochimaru made another effort to strike him but Shunsui spun on his heel and easily avoided it.

"I'm guessing swordsmanship isn't your strong suit." Shunsui derided the Snake Sannin in insult.

_'I better change my tactics before this guy decides he wants to do more than fight lazily.'_ Orochimaru thought, then sneered as if to look like he had just been toying with the former Captain of Squad Eight and spat.

"Who needs a sword when I've got something even better?"

Before Shunsui could request him to be specific, Orochimaru did four quick hand signs, bit his thumb, and smeared the blood on his upper arm tattoo and commanded.

**"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"** (Summoning Technique)

The air instantly filled with light and smoke and Shunsui could sense the sudden presence of a new living being. A large one at that, as a silhouette soon towered over the smoke, and in seconds Shunsui could see what it was.

Before him was a titanic snake. A purple cobra to be specific, with horns behind the head, black rings going down its body, and strangely it had legs. Eastern dragon legs to be precise and the tail ended exactly like the one on a rattlesnake. On top its head there stood Orochimaru.

"That's one odd serpent. Or is it a dragon?" Shunsui casually commented, showing no fear whatsoever.

The former Gotei Captain had faced down a lot of monsters in his lifetime, including but not limited to the strongest kind of Hollows. A giant snake wasn't something that would get him shaking in his sandals.

"It's Manda 2, the greatest snake to have ever lived." Orochimaru proudly declared.

Shunsui shrugged and stated.

"If it's got legs it isn't a snake."

Manda 2 then lunged right at the pink-cloaked man, ready to swallow him whole. Orochimaru noted he just stood there, not even trying to dodge, as he thought in confusion.

_'Has he accepted the inevitable? Or does he actually think he can kill Manda 2 from inside? Let him see how wrong he is.'_

Shunsui held out both swords and shouted. "Irooni… Purple!"

The giant snake reached its prey and engulfed him with easy. It lifted its head up to make swallowing easier, and then it felt a cut on its tongue. Not a particularly nasty cut in itself, but this one felt like a stab to the heart for the snake.

Manda 2 froze up and started to lightly convulse, then collapsed like a puppet with cut strings. Orochimaru jumped off to soften his own landing then immediately checked his fallen summons.

"Manda 2? What has happened?"

Try as he might the Snake Sannin detected no signs of life. It was as if the snake suddenly had a heart attack.

"How could this fool defeat my ultimate snake?" Orochimaru openly asked in frustration.

The mouth opened and Shunsui idly strolled out of it, looking more bothered by the saliva on him than anything else, as he complained.

"Great, who knows when I'll get the chance to have my clothes cleaned?"

"You killed Manda 2?!" Orochimaru all but shouted.

"Yeah, so what?"

"How could you do such a thing with just two swords?"

"Oh that? It's simple; I just played a little game called Irooni." Shunsui admitted, sounding like he had already explained it before and was tired of repeating himself.

"You beat my summons with a game?" Orochimaru repeated, before adding.

"How is that even possible?"

"I told you shinigami don't use ordinary swords. This sword of mine, Katen Kyokotsu, has the ability to make children's games reality."

"Make children's games reality?" Orochimaru repeated again, still drawing a blank.

"Yes. I started the game Irooni and picked the color purple. Whatever I cut feels a measure of damage proportional to the amount of that color on their body and clothes. Even a tiny knick can be as lethal as a guillotine if I pick the right color. And your snake was at least 95% purple. He had no chance of survival."

"Thissssss is absurd. There's no way what you say can be real." Orochimaru insisted.

Shunsui held out his swords and offered.

"Then see for yourself, let's play Jankenbou."

"Jankenbou? Rock-paper-scissors?"

Shunsui nodded and replied.

"Yes. A good game for when my other opponent has a sword of his own. We attack each other once, clashing our swords together, while in that once moment we both pick either rock, paper, or scissors. The one who picks the losing choice feels the literal effect of the stronger choice on their body. For example, let's say you pick paper and I pick scissors. You would then feel like you were just cut in half yourself. Or if you pick scissors and I pick rock, you'd feel like you were being crushed by a great weight."

"So the loser feels the literal effects of their symbolic defeat." Orochimaru questioned.

"That's pretty much it. Oh, and no saying 'I pick whichever choice beats his'. That never works in any Jankenbou game. Never has, never will." Shunsui said.

Adjusting his grip on his sword, Orochimaru tried to look firm.

"I guess I don't have a choice. Even if I tried to refuse you could still attack me and subconsciously now I'd still pick a choice. Sssssso I might as well do it when I'm prepared."

With some distance between them the two stood facing each other, waiting for the other to make the first move. Shunsui looked bored but patient, while Orochimaru looked bothered but calm. Both men knew that right now victory was only going to be obtained by pure chance rather than skill, therefore rushing into this fight was a poor move.

It was the exact sort of situation Orochimaru hated to be in, one where he had no control of the outcome at all.

It was hard to say exactly which one ran forward first or why, but both came at each other quickly and crossed their swords. The sound of the air being cut was heard along with metal hitting metal, and just as quickly as it started the clash had ended, with the two warriors standing facing away from each other.

"Did I win?" Orochimaru openly asked, not hearing any sounds of agony from Shunsui but not feeling any pain himself. He tried to turn around to see for himself, but he couldn't.

_'What?'_ He thought to himself in a panic, as he tried to move again, but no part of his body listened to him and he shouted in bewilderment.

"I'm immobilized, but how?"

"Typical, you chose rock." Shunsui bemoaned, as if disappointed, before adding.

"Guys like you usually do. You imagine experiencing the effects of losing to scissors and rocks as deadly, but losing to paper not so much so you pick rock thinking if I happen to pick paper you can live with that. And why not? In the game paper covers rock. Not exactly a lethal experience."

As Shunsui casually spoke, he strolled to the front of the Snake Sannin.

He stopped in front of his opponent, slightly amused by Orochimaru's surprise and futile attempts to break free of his restraints and announced.

"The one thing you forgot is I never said exactly how constraining the feeling of being covered in paper can feel. Right now you should feel as if a lot of paper is wrapped around you tightly. So tightly you can't even move."

With that he held his long blade right against Orochimaru's throat.

"All that's left to say now is game over."

One severed head later and Orochimaru was finally forced to embrace the one thing in the world he had tried to avoid other than the embrace of women…..The embrace of death.

Yoruichi was in hot pursuit of Kabuto, both having taken to running in the trees now. Then suddenly she stopped and went to the ground. Kabuto turned when he heard the change in her direction, only to see he could no longer see her in the foliage.

'Crap, where did she go?' Orochimaru's protégé thought with concern.

Cautiously, Kabuto dropped to the ground and looked around as best he could by being alert for any possible surprise attack. After a dozen seconds he heard some rustling and on reflex threw a kunai into the bushes where the sound came from. From out of the bushes sprang a black cat, one that looked a bit startled by the attack.

"Just a cat." Kabuto reassured himself, and then resumed the search. As soon as he turned away he realized his folly and thought.

_'Wait a minute, why would a cat-?'_

Before he could finish that thought, the white-haired shinobi felt an attack from behind, one too large to be a mere cat attacking him. The force and weight of the attack caused him to fall to the ground and prevented him from turning around. When on the ground he felt something pin him down, and in his peripheral vision he saw what it was. Not a black cat per say, but a black panther.

With a bit of a roar the panther bit down on Kabuto's neck, enough to draw a good amount of blood but not break it. Content with the damage the panther got up and also pulled off his glasses before stomping on them.

"I'm disappointed. I thought you'd be tougher than this." The panther said in a male voice before walking away back into the woods. When it was gone, Kabuto smirked.

The panther quickly came upon a pile of discarded clothes, then morphed with a glow into a nude woman.

"Hmm... just to be safe I should go back there and make a more decisive move to put him down." Yoruichi pondered as she got dressed.

"Too late." She heard when she was fully clothed.

Hearing something moving behind her but coming towards her, Yoruichi jumped surprisingly high into the air while spinning acrobatically. She landed on a tree branch facing the direction the voice came from.

"Your one mistake was leaving me alive." Kabuto proclaimed, standing with no wound on his neck but blood on his purple shirt.

He looked a little shaky, likely from the loss of blood, but he looked ready for more as well. Also, he was looking right at Yoruichi like he could see her just fine without his glasses.

"Hmm... I had thought that by destroying your glass you wouldn't have been able to find me before I got back to you. But I guess those glasses were just for show and you can see just fine." Yoruichi commented.

"Finally, someone figured it out." Kabuto complimented, before explaining.

"I've had several biological upgrades to my body to make it have the perfect regenerative abilities. I've had my heart ripped out of my rib cage and I've been injected with all sorts of venoms. Yet no one ever stops to ask themselves why my eyes would be the one part not improved."

"Even you can't survive everything." Yoruichi declared.

"Neither can you. So let's find out which one can find the other's limit first and I know just the way to do it." Kabuto replied, looking rather pleased with himself, as he called out."

**"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"** (Summoning Technique)

Four quick hand signs and a blood sacrifice later, another snake was summoned. However, this one was vastly different than the others. It looked like Manda 2, complete with dragon legs, but this one resembled more of an asp than a cobra and instead of a rattle on the tail it had a claw. But the biggest difference of all was the fact this serpent was the size of a tiger and the length of an average apartment.

"This is as good an opportunity as any to test out my newest creation. This little guy is called Manda Proto-3." Kabuto stated.

With the success of the creation of Manda 2 Kabuto decided to see if he could create another clone of the deceased boss snake summons. Manda Proto-3 was a prototype for a future Manda 3, using different genetic traits and currently kept small for observation purposes. If successful, Kabuto intended to grow a bigger one and make that the official Manda 3. If not successful, he'd simply try a different genetic combination and hope that one worked better.

"Interesting snake, but I'll bet it can't catch me." Yoruichi said before running off into the forest through the trees. Seeing a moving target, Manda Proto-3 acted like most reptiles and pursued her.

"This I got to see." Kabuto said, determined to directly observe the strengths and weaknesses of his creation. So he followed them both, while thinking.

_'Suddenly I wish I had added the traits of a spitting cobra to attack from a distance like now. Oh well, I'll keep that in mind for next time.'_

Yoruichi hopped from tree branch to tree branch, avoiding a straight line. Behind her the snake followed with predatorial determination. The way it moved through the foliage looked just like a dragon flying, almost as if it wasn't grabbing the branches at all.

All of a sudden Yoruichi stopped. Less than a second later she jumped backwards and landed on a lower branch on the tree that had been behind her. Manda Proto-3 had caught this too late and soared over her. Taking the opportunity, the purple-haired shinigami jumped up and revealed a blade hidden in her left sleeve that she swung at the serpent's neck. The head and neck disconnected from the body and the two pieces fell to the ground.

"You didn't really think a snake was going to stop me did you?" Yoruichi taunted Kabuto, who stopped two trees away from her.

"Who said you killed him?" Kabuto replied, pointing down. Yoruichi glanced downwards and saw what he meant.

The headless body of the genetic prototype got back on its feet and the stump of the neck was quivering. The flesh appeared to bubble up and heal, then to Yoruichi's surprise two heads identical to the original grew in its place. While they grew, so did the body, becoming the size of a tank, with the legs getting thicker and looking more like dinosaur legs than dragon legs.

_'It appears the hydra gene worked. And the subject grows naturally on its own, likely to support the extra head. If that's the case the official Manda 3 might not have to be gigantic from the start.'_ Kabuto silently noted, pleased with his work, as he openly challenged.

"Kill my creation all you want, you'll only make it worse."

"I think not." Yoruichi calmly said before jumping to a higher branch on another tree. Manda Proto-3 was climbing the tree to get to her, moving a bit slower than before but surprisingly fast in her opinion. It jumped to her and she backed away, keeping the snake in her sight now and this time not running, something which confused Kabuto, as he thought to himself.

_'Is she going to try something new? Heh, good luck woman. Even if you can kill Manda Proto-3, by the time you do you'll be tired while I'm still fresh.'_

"Right where I need it." Yoruichi said before crossing her arms in front of herself and tensing up her legs, before shouting.

**"Shunko!"** (Flash Cry)

Right away white light started to dance around her like lightning. Her clothes started to peel off and rip to shreds as if hit by a wind jutsu, leaving her in just a black under-outfit. Yoruichi jumped forward, right at the mutant serpent while covered in white light. She hit it right at the junction of the two necks and kept going, cutting through it like a hot knife through butter until she cleaved it from neck to tail. And she didn't stop there, she continued with speed that was too much for Kabuto and hit him with enough force to knock him into a tree, her fist piercing him through his heart. But she didn't withdraw; instead she kept her fist there while her excess reishi burned him from the inside.

_'I... I can't believe it.'_ Kabuto thought in disbelief, feeling his body try to heal itself but unable to. Her reishi was burning the affected area and her fist was in the way, obstructing the regenerating tissue from reforming correctly.

_'She used some sort of white version of the Hiraishin, and waited for me and the snake to be aligned so she could hit us together.' _Kabuto surmised, as he lay dying.

He glanced to the fallen Manda Proto-3, which showed no signs of recovering. It turns out that the hydra gene only counters decapitation, not bisection.

His heart no longer beating, Kabuto knew he had a bigger priority than the life of his experiment. Namely his own life, as he thought.

_'I still have chakra, so I can still defend myself.'_ Readying himself, he performed a medical jutsu on himself and said.

**"Heart Substitution Jutsu."**

Kabuto's chest glowed green and then the rest of his body did, before he declared.

"There, now even with my heart destroyed my blood's still flowing so I won't die."

"Bet that won't last for long." Yoruichi commented, before taking the blade on her left arm and cutting into him.

"It only has to last long enough." Kabuto answered, as he grabbed her throat and started crushing it tightly. With only one free hand Yoruichi couldn't loosen his grip so well.

"If you want to stop me you're going to have to take your arm out of my chest." Kabuto smugly proclaimed.

Despite the pain in her neck and decrease in oxygen, Yoruichi smiled.

"You're... already dead. You just... don't know it... yet." She wheezed while trying to breathe.

"To quote you, I think not." Kabuto said, but then coughed up some blood and he cried out in pain.

"What?"

Kabuto's grip on her throat loosened despite his effort not to let go, and the muscles in his hands and arms ached. He could even feel his blood slow down in his body, and to his surprise his hair started to fall out and he fearfully asked.

"What did you do to me?"

"I turned your healing against you." Yoruichi answered, rubbing her sore throat after withdrawing her right hand from Kabuto's chest, before adding.

"You say you can heal from everything. The problem is every organic body has a finite limit of how many times the cells in it can grow and divide to repair the body. Some may have a higher amount than others, but it's never truly limitless."

"Yeah I know that. What's your point?" Kabuto spat in angered frustration and concern, as he watched his skin wrinkle and thin. His mouth felt dry and his tongue felt like it was being mummified.

"My point is my fist wasn't just blocking your heart, it was damaging your body as it tried to repair itself. Damaging it a lot I might say. Your way of keeping your blood flowing without a heart only made it worse. My attack forced your body to use up all the regenerative energy it had stored up to be used in a lifetime in only a few moments. Right now, all your body can do is degenerate."

"No, this can't be." Kabuto stated in disbelief, looking and sounding twenty years older now and like he had leprosy. His Heart Substitution Jutsu came to an end, resulting in his blood stopping in his body. No longer able to support himself, Kabuto collapsed like a chair with one leg, wheezing like he was the one being choked.

"Oh but it is, blink twice if you want it to end quickly." Yoruichi offered to him.

Hating himself, Kabuto blinked twice. He didn't even bother to open his eyes after that, and when Yoruichi cut off his head, he'd never open them again.

* * *

Hinata's medical platoon was positioned outside the valley where Naruto's Crimson army clashed with Madara's army. Due to Daisuke's strategic moves and positioning of his forces, casualties had been relatively light. Hinata and Sakura were both grateful for this, as they were the only two people with any extensive medical training, as a rash of numerous injuries could potentially overwhelm them. Suddenly a loud booming explosion was heard off in the distance and one could see a small mushroom cloud of debris rising into the air on the horizon.

"Hinata, what was that?" Sakura asked in confusion, as she ran up to the Hyuga girl.

Hinata did not answer and her face remained impassive, but inwardly she felt her stomach tighten into a knot. For Hinata knew that where that explosion came from was where Naruto and Sasuke were battling Madara. Hinata was worried terribly and wanted nothing more than to rush to Naruto's side and make sure he was alright, but she knew she could not. Naruto had put his faith and trust in her to use her extraordinary medical skills to help as many of the Crimson army survive this fight. Then there was also the fact that as much as she wanted to be by Naruto's side, Hinata could no longer just think about herself. She had her unborn child to protect and that superseded any other thoughts or actions she might wish to take. Such as rushing onto a dangerous battlefield just to be with the man she loves, as she thought to herself with concern.

'_Oh Naru-kun, I want to help you so much in your fight, but I know I would be more of a detriment then an benefit to you on the battlefield. Please my love, return safe to me and our baby.' _

Hinata was broken out of her thought when a shout of warning rang out from Kira Izuru. The former Gotei 13 officerhad been assigned to help protect the medical platoon from the enemy forces and Hinata quickly asked.

"What is it Kira, what has happened?"

"Enemy forces of about 100 men are marching towards our position and will be here in a matter of minutes!"

"A few minutes, there's no way we can evacuate and move the wounded and the medical unit in such a short amount of time." Sakura openly stated.

"We have no choice; we'll have to stop them!" Hinata bravely declared.

A few minutes later, Madara's forces arrived and gazed across the field to see three individuals standing directly in their path of the medical platoon and it's wounded. Hinata, Sakura, and Kira stood defiantly waiting for the enemy to attack, but in an unexpected move they suddenly stopped. The Akatsuki followers then began to construct something leaving the two kunoichi's and the former shinigami perplexed at what they were doing, as Sakura asked.

"What are they doing, why don't they attack?"

"I don't know Sakura-san, but keep your guard up nonetheless."

"Kira's right, we must be prepared for anything." Hinata affirmed in agreement.

A short time later, it suddenly became clear as to what the enemy were building, as the ominous shape of a large cannon came into view. It was then the all of the Akatsuki followers linked hands with the final member of the link placed his hand on the breech of the weapon. Suddenly all the men began to glow an ethereal blue and began channeling all of their chakra down the link and into the field gun. Kira was the first one to realize what they were doing and sprinted forward, while shouting a warning to Hinata and Sakura.

"Hinata-san, Sakura-san, get to the patients and attempt to take cover!"

However, the warning came too late, as a second later the massive cannon fired a concentrated beam of condensed chakra towards the medical unit and it's patients. Kira quickly brought his own reiatsu to bear and quickly went through a series of hand signs and shouted.

"**Ryubi no Jomon" **(The Gate of Dragon Tail)

Instantly, over a dozen large pillars appeared which Kira arranged with some hand gestures, forming a gigantic shield between himself and the oncoming blast. A moment later, the chakra beam struck and it appeared the barrier the former shinigami had erected was going to stop it. Unfortunately, after a few seconds, cracks began to become visible in the shield and Kira barely was able to leap aside, before the beam shattered the Kido defensive barrier and he could only look on in horror, as it raced towards Hinata, Sakura, and everyone else present within the medical platoon.

* * *

**Author Note:** Well here are some more of the climactic battles between Naruto and his forces against Madara and his army of bad guys. I need to gratefully thank my reader Narutoenthusiast for his amazing battle scene between Kakashi and Obito. I also need to thank brown phantom for his incredible work not only with the Shunsui vs. Orochimaru battle, but also Yoruichi vs. Kabuto. Both of these gentlemen are fantastic authors on this site in their own right and I can't thank them enough for their help on this story and the remarkable work they provided for it.

The work I did on those scenes was minimal and was more for cosmetic reasons than actual content of the scene. My most poignant contribution with Narutoenthusiast was probably Obito's sad death and Kakashi's goodbye soliloquy to Obito afterwards, along with his promise to Naruto and Sasuke at the end. And with brown phantom bringing in a Sun-Tsu quote for the start of his scene. I think both Narutoenthusiast and brown phantom did fabulous jobs writing those fights and once again my eternal thanks to them for their help on this story.

I'm anxious to see what your reviews will be for the chapter. I do wish to thank everyone both old and new readers who took the time to review my last chapter. For those of you who did review, you all had a lot to say about it and I'm pleased that this story has such a strong fan base with readers who actually write out well thought-out reviews. Because of that, I enjoy reading many of your reviews, so please leave lots of them, as they do help a writer get a sense of the thoughts and opinions of the fans of a story. They also can help lift the spirits of an author as well. Also, to any readers who are staff members to any C2 communities, please feel free to add my story to your community if you feel it is worthy of it. I won't mind, I swear. I'll even pinkie swear if I need to?

_**News:**_

In 2010, my fellow author brown phantom initiated a poll asking the following question.

**Who is the best Naruto fan fiction writer on this site?**

Upon completion of that first poll I finished a very respectable 8th to which I thank all of you who voted for me on that poll very much for making that happen. Now brown phantom has decided to run a second poll asking that same question. So I humbly ask if you feel I'm worthy of being one of your 10 author picks to please place a vote for me on brown phantoms second poll. I thank you in advance for your support and normally I would provide you the links to the profile pages for brown phantom for you to use. However, one of the "oh so wonderful" changes FFnet has recently made is making it more difficult to list a link anywhere even if it's a link on their own freaking site. So just do a quick search for the author, brown phantom. As I said I finished 8th on his first poll and I would be ecstatic if I could improve on that showing, but I will need all of your help to achieve that.

**End of News:**

Thanks to everyone for your support of this story and take it easy!

_**Kingkakashi **_

*****For those interested, my next update will be for my story "Naruto vs. Sasuke: The Aftermath"


	31. The War vs The Akatsuki Part 3

**Do I Have A Purpose Anymore?**

**Chapter 31: "The War vs. The Akatsuki Part.3"**

As Hinata watched the powerful beam of chakra smash through Kira's defensive barrier, the Hyuga girl called uponthe ultimate defensive technique of the Hyuga clan the Hakkeshou Kaiten. Hinata began releasing a large of amount of chakra from her tenketsu points. While at the same time began to spin like a top, creating a whirling vortex of chakra that acted as a 360° degree shield surrounding her. Hinata hoped that her Kaiten would be enough to stop the beam. However, deep down she doubted it would, but perhaps it could deflect the beam away from the wounded, before it would eventually overwhelm her. It was then that Hinata heard a child shout.

"Don't worry momma-hina, I'll top it!"

Hinata looked on in terror, as little Nel appeared seemingly out of nowhere and run onto the field in front of the chakra beam. Hinata screamed, as the beam approached the little Arrancar and she knew there was no way she could reach her in time after dropping her Kaiten shield. However, Nel merely opened her mouth and to the shock of everyone swallowed the intense beam of chakra. A moment later, the eyes of Nel's Arrancar skull mask glowed, before she opened her mouth and fired the beam back at the Akatsuki followers with a force exceeding that of the original blast. The Akatsuki forces were not prepared to see their own concentrated beam of condensed chakra redirected back at them, had no time to escape and were literally vaporized along with the cannon by their own attack.

Hinata, Sakura, and Kira looked on in shock at what they had just witnessed the little green-haired Arrancar standing in the field had done. They were about to go out and get Nel, when suddenly she fell to her hands and knees and looked back to Hinata and said.

"Momma-hina, I don't feel tho good."

Suddenly, there was a brilliant flash of light around Nel, momentarily blinding everyone. A few seconds later, as everyone's vision came back into focus. No longer standing in the field was a little girl wearing a simple green gown with a hood, which covered her entire body. In her place now stood a fully-grown, curvaceous, and well-endowed young woman. One could see that this woman was or had been little Nelliel, as she retained her greenish-blue colored hair, only now it was much longer and flowing behind her in the wind. The woman also had Nel's trademark scar and the crimson line that ran across her face. Little Nel's attire had also changed going from a hooded gown to now torn into a skirt and top connected by a single strip across her stomach. Also the Arrancar mask had changed slightly now sporting a paired of curved horns.

As Hinata and Sakura stared at the metamorphosis Naruto's adoptive daughter had undergone. It was the pink-haired kunoichi who openly commented.

"Damn Hinata, I think she's more stacked than you are!"

Hinata's eyes narrowed upon hearing this and in a terse voice replied.

"Well we definitely know she is more stacked than you Sakura, but then again who isn't?"

Hinata then left Sakura to stew over her jab and went to approach the newly transformed Nelliel.

* * *

Meanwhile, as Hinata was trying to deduce the mystery of what had happened to Nel? Kurenai and Hinamori moved through the battle field approaching the giant fortress when Kurenai's danger senses, honed through years of combat, began to scream at her. She jumped to the side and tackled Hinamori just as the ground in front of them exploded.

"What happened?" The former shinigami asked in confusion.

"This is as far as you go, hn." Deidara said as he revealed himself from the gate they had been approaching.

Kurenai looked to Hinamori or Momo as she liked to be called, and saw the young girl was anxious but also had a determined look in her eyes. The Jounin had only shared a few words with the girl but with them about to go into battle together against an S ranked missing ninja it was good to know the girl was prepared for battle.

"His name is Deidara, formerly a ninja of the Hidden Rock village. He specializes in explosives and believes himself to be something of an artist." Kurenai said, much to Deidara's annoyance.

"What do you mean something of an artist?! My art is the best in all the lands." Deidara shouted in defense at her.

Kurenai gave a small smirk at her little victory. The first rule of combat was to control your emotions so your mind could be clear. Deidara was even now still spouting on about how his art was superior in every way to any other, seemingly completely forgetting that he was faced with not one but two opponents.

Momo, whom Deidara had seemingly lost track of appeared behind the man and tried to cut him down with her sword. Deidara was cut in half but soon turned into nothing but rock that fell to pieces.

_'A rock clone.'_ Kurenai thought, as she looked around for him.

"Hey that wasn't nice, hn. I wasn't done telling you about my art. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to show you how great it is." Deidara said from above them. He was flying on a giant clay bird. Deidara opened his hands and let dozens of small clay insects fall to the ground.

"Momo get away!" Kurenai shouted as she leapt back away from the clay figurines that exploded when they made contact with the ground. Momo wisely flash stepped away until she and Kurenai were once again side by side.

"I've never seen such a technique." Momo said as she was shocked by just how much damage each of those small explosions could cause. She didn't want to think what would happen should she be hit by one or worse yet if he crafted a large one to hurl at them.

"Thankfully he only has a limited amount of clay from what I understand." Kurenai informed her as she looked up at Deidara.

_'Still, I'm not a long range fighter and as long as he's up there I won't be able to cast any genjutsu against him.'_ Kurenai thought in frustration.

"**Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south!**" Momo began to chant. Both Kurenai and Deidara turned to look at her and the glowing red orb began to appear in her hands.

"**Hado #31: Shakkaho!**" Momo shouted as she sent the large crimson orb at Deidara. The missing ninja swiftly commanded his clay bird to move and just missed being struck by the attack. However the resulting force the ball exploding near him sent him and his mount tumbling down. He was able to right himself and climb up into the air.

Momo jumped up quickly and tried to attack him again before he could fully prepare himself. However Deidara's bird turned and hit her with its tail. Deidara quickly capitalized and sent a large clay spider at her face. A kunai flew and struck the spider causing it to explode prematurely and Kurenai jumped in and grabbed Momo, taking her to safety.

"Don't act so rashly." Kurenai said to the girl and was surprised to see her mutter an apology and bowed to her.

_'A shinigami who's most likely many times my senior bowing to me as a superior? My life certainly has become strange since I've gotten involved with Kakashi and Naruto.'_ Kurenai thought to herself.

"It's alright you almost had him but we need to work together." Kurenai said as she looked up to the still circling Deidara.

"I'm well versed in genjutsu like Sasuke however I can't cast them from so far away and my ninjutsu does not favor long ranged battle." Kurenai said, as they jumped back to avoid another clay bomb from Deidara who seemed content to wait for them to make a move.

"I'm very proficient in my kido spells, but I do have to finish their incantations first for them to be a full strength." Momo stated.

"If you could get him down then I can trap him in a genjutsu before he has a chance to think. I'll by you the time you need." Kurenai said as pulled out two kunai with explosive tags attached to them and ran at Deidara. She let them fly and had them explode in front of Deidara. She heard Momo behind her beginning her incantation for the next kido spell.

"Pathetic! Let me show you true art." Deidara shouted as he appeared through the smoke of the explosions. Kurenai and Momo prepared themselves for him to throw more bombs put were shocked when he made no move to release any more explosive clay.

"**Katsu!**" Deidara said, as he formed the seal to explode one of his custom made bombs. Kurenai was confused until she felt a large build of up charka underneath her feet and immediately knew what was happening.

"Hinamori move!" Kurenai shouted, as the ground she stood on exploded.

"Kurenai-san!" Momo shouted, breaking her incantation and as she took a step towards Kurenai an explosion also consumed her as well.

"We've been waiting for you guys to show up for weeks. So I had plenty of prepare this battlefield to show the full beauty of my art, hn." Deidara said as he waited for the resulting smoke and dust to settle.

"**Snap, Tobiume!**"

Deidara's visible eye widened in surprise, when a giant fireball raced towards him from the smoke cloud that was still surrounding Momo. Deidara had no choice but to jump off of his mount as it got hit by the attack and exploded. Deidara had no time to counter as Kurenai leapt from her own cover of dust and attacked Deidara in mid air.

Deidara was a long ranged fighter and was not great at hand to hand combat. Kurenai took advantage of this and was able to hit him with a punch to the stomach followed by a kick to the head that sent Deidara flying down towards Momo, who was waiting for him. The former shinigami sent another fire ball at Deidara from her transformed sword and hit him dead on as watched as he was consumed by fire and fell to the ground. Kurenai landed beside Momo and they looked at Deidara's body only to see a burned rock body.

_'He got away, I knew it wouldn't be that easy.'_ Kurenai thought to herself as she looked at Momo's zanpakuto. The blade hadn't changed that much. It was longer, straighter, with two jutte like prongs along its length.

"We have to be careful Hinamori. He's probably littered the ground with mines that he can set off at any time." Kurenai said gaining a nod from the smaller woman.

Both had avoided the explosions but it was a very near thing and they wouldn't survive a direct hit. Deidara appeared a few yards in front of them with his hands in his pockets and a smirk on his face. He seemed completely relaxed and actually happy at the strength of his opponents.

"Well what are you waiting for? Here I am, come get me!" Deidara spat with a sneer.

Kurenai and Momo glared at him but they didn't dare move from their spot. Hinamori instead unleashed another fireball from her blade forcing Deidara to dodge to the side. The smile never left his face as he opened his hands to revel a clay dragon. The dragon grew to enormous size and Deidara jumped onto its back and took to the skies.

Momo took a step forward but was topped by Kurenai and quickly remembered that Deidara had planted mines around the battle field and without knowledge on where they were at she ran the risk of stepping on one and either seriously injuring herself or leaving herself wide open for Deidara to attack.

"Kurenai-san we can't stay here. He will eventually attack us and without knowing where his mines are we can't run away." Momo stated frustratingly.

She'd never come across an opponent like Deidara before. He made fighting Menos Grandes seem like a walk in the park. The giant hollow may have been powerful but they were not that bright, Deidara was both making him very deadly.

"I have an idea, but I need you to protect me alright?" Kurenai asked. When she saw Momo nod an affirmative, she grabbed a kunai and threw it in the air.

"**Shadow Shuriken Jutsu!**" Kurenai called out as she used one of a few techniques she'd had Kakashi teach her before they made their move on the Akatsuki. The single kunai turned into a few dozen and Deidara was able to dodge them all and watched with a laugh as they fell uselessly to scatter across the ground. Kurenai, unperturbed by the failed move took out a second kunai and slammed in into the ground, closing her eyes as she did so.

The clay dragon Deidara rod on opened its mouth and a smaller version of said dragon came out and flew towards them. Momo used Tobiume to shot at fire ball at the dragon only to have the beast dodge and continue towards them.

"Done let's move." Kurenai shouted as she ran forward.

Momo hesitated, worrying about the bombs only to see Kurenai running across the ground without any fear. Momo threw caution to the wind and raced after Kurenai. The clay dragon clone was not able to bank in time and slammed into the ground causing a large explosion. Unconcerned about the loss of the mobile bomb Deidara's sneer became a full smile when he saw, what believed to be, the desperate attempt to run away before

"I guess you're not as smart as you are lovely. **Katsu!**" Deidara said as he formed his hand sign and tried to activate his mines. He was surprised when nothing happened. He tried again and again but none of his mines would detonate.

"What did you do?!" Deidara shouted in anger as Kurenai turned to Momo and gave the signal. Deidara had been so focused on trying to activate his mines that he failed to notice Momo reciting her incantation.

**"Hado #4: Byakurai**" Momo said as she pointed on hand at Deidara. A giant bolt of lightning emerged from her palm and blew the wings off of the clay dragon. The dragon quickly reformed its wings. However its tail, which it used as extra clay when it formed miniature dragons or repaired itself, swiftly decreased in size.

**"**I don't know what you did to my mines but let's see you avoid these." Deidara said angrily, as he opened his hands and threw dozens upon dozens of small spiders down at them. The dragon also shot another miniature clay replica at them and Kurenai realized that they were about to be surrounded.

**"Hado #12: Fushibi!**" Momo called out. Out of her vice captain's badge on her shoulder a line of orange energy shot forward and formed a large web in front of them. All of the bombs were entangled in the web and despite trying to break free were stuck.

**"Hado #31: Shakkaho!**" the red ball of energy hit the web and flames appeared that traveled along the web, destroying each of the bombs. Momo then fell to one knee breathing heavily. She was a master of kido spells but they took a lot of her energy especially when used in quick succession as before.

_**'**__Just how many tricks do she have?!'_ Deidara thought angrily, as he didn't understand Momo's mastery of kido spells and her ability to use them so quickly.

He turned to look at Kurenai and noticed she hadn't moved. However something was wrong about her and he couldn't put his finger on it. This turned out to be an accurate feeling as the Kurenai he was looking at dispersed in a cloud and revealed itself to be a shadow clone.

_**'**__Where is she?!'_ Deidara thought in confusion until he felt a weight land on his dragon. He turned around opening his hands as he did, ready to throw a bomb when Kurenai took one of the two kunai she had and slammed in into his right palm, right through the strange mouth that was present in both his hands.

Deidara cried out in pain but had no time to react before she was on him with the other kunai. He was able to avoid getting stabbed in the heart by grabbing her wrist but she smiled and began a series of one handed signs.

**"Ninja art: Horror viewing jutsu!**" She called out a powerful genjutsu.

This technique was one of her favorites as it forced the victim to experience their worst fear. Even battle hardened veterans of war were susceptible; in fact they were more likely to fall for this technique. She knew that she had succeeded when his face took on a look of absolute horror. She moved to put her kunai into his skull when his hand shot up and stopped her.

**"**Just kidding!" Deidara said with a laugh as he kicked Kurenai in her stomach making her kneel over as he jumped off of his dragon.

**"**Dodge this! **Katsu!**" He shouted as the large beast exploded with Kurenai on it.

**"**Kurenai-san!" Momo shouted as she moved to attack Deidara.

She appeared in front of Deidara and attempted to cut him in half. He blocked her blade with the kunai he had pulled out of his injured hand. He threw a bit of unformed clay into her eyes and kicked her in the chest, away from him. He landed and moved to regroup and Momo cleared her eyes and went after Kurenai. She found the Leaf Jounin had managed to avoid most of the explosion but her left arm was burned and bleeding badly and Momo immediately began to use her healing talents on the limb.

_**'**__How did he break my genjutsu so quickly?'_ Kurenai thought with puzzlement. Even those skilled in genjutsu like she was would have had a more difficult time breaking out of her technique then Deidara showed.

**"**Are you alright Kurenai-san?" Momo asked, as she was able to stop the bleeding and was working on the burns.

**"**Yes thank you Hinamori, you're quite the fighter. Now I can see why Sasuke is so taken with you." Kurenai teased as Momo turned a bright red in the face just like Hinata was known to do even to this day when Naruto's name was mentioned.

**"**I could say the same about you and Kakashi-san." Momo muttered back. Kurenai was able to keep her blush down a bit, but Momo still saw a light dusting of red across her face.

**"**I hope I'm not interrupting anything!" Deidara called out as he once again was on a clay bird. This one however was a bit smaller then his other flying creations and Kurenai deduced that he was running a bit low on clay and his injured hand had to also be bothering him.

**"**How are you doing in terms of energy Hinamori?" Kurenai asked, concerned about the dark haired woman. Hinamori had been expending the most energy of the two of them with her numerous techniques and was sweating and seemed exhausted.

**"**I'm fine Kurenai-san. I can still fight." She said as she held out Tobiume in its released state as proof.

**"**Your genjutsu pales in comparison with Itachi woman. I've been preparing myself to finally get vengeance on him for years and I can't be caught in any genjutsu so if that's all that you can do then you've got no chance of beating me, hn." Deidara said arrogantly.

Kurenai's eyes narrowed at this bit of information, as Deidara reached down and pulled up a small bird like statue. Kurenai's eyes widened in alarm at the recognizable object.

**"**I never thought I'd have to use this against two opponents but I'm running low on clay and on patience besides there's no such things as overkill where my art is concerned!" Deidara said as he dropped the statue.

**"**Hinamori you have to destroy that now!" Kurenai shouted in a panic. Hinamori charged the flames around Tobiume and shot a giant fireball at the statue. However Deidara made a hand sign and the small statue grew greatly in size and the fireball failed to destroy it.

**"**My art is a blast! **Katsu!**" Deidara shouted, as the large statue exploded.

This particular bomb was the strongest he had in terms of wide spread destruction and was the same one he used on the Sand village years ago. Unlike then there was no giant wall of compressed sand to block the devastation and the resulting explosion was of such a magnitude that everything within a few hundred feet was laid to waste. Trees were incinerated, grass was completely wash away and the resulting cloud of smoke and dust was so large that it could be seen from all of the other ongoing battles between the Akatsuki and Naruto's forces.

**"**It took a bit longer, but in the end my art has no equal, hn." Deidara said confidently as he continued to savor his actions. Deidara moved the long blonde hair away from his left eye and used the small scope that he used to see long distances and it was also used to help train his left eye to see through genjutsu, which was how he easily broke Kurenai's.

He looked through the dust cloud to see if the blast had left any small pieces of Hinamori or Kurenai for him to better admire the greatness of his art. However he was surprised when his eyes saw something orange in the dust. It became clearer and Deidara saw a large orange box shaped shield around Kurenai and Momo. Somehow it had withstood the power of his art and both of the women were still alive!

Deidara didn't know whether to be impressed or enraged that they continued to survive his art. He was able to control his anger when he saw the smaller woman fall to one knee as the shield began to disappear. Seeing this he dove down to take advantage of the situation. He narrowed his eyes when they both vanished in a cloud of cherry blossoms. He revealed his left eye and broke through the Genjutsu. He was tackled from the side by Kurenai and Momo sliced his clay bird in half before his could explode.

Deidara kicked Kurenai off of him and immediately had to avoid Hinamori's sword strikes. The fact that she wasn't using her sword fireball ability was telling Deidara that she was low on energy and probably couldn't form that barrier again nor would she be able to use any of her other strange techniques. However he was also running very low on clay and he had to ration it, hence him not creating space from her by throwing a bomb at her.

Kurenai appeared behind Deidara and kicked him in the back towards Momo's blade. He turned his head to the side and avoided getting his head skewered however one of the jutte like prongs along the blade moved towards his left eye and cut him from cheek to eyebrow, destroying his scope damaging his left eye. He was half blind and was forced to reach into his bag and pull out a very small insect bomb; he threw it to the ground and detonated it. The resulting explosion wasn't enough to hurt anyone but it was a good enough distraction that he was able to move away from them and disappear in the dust cloud that was still kicked up from his previous attack.

_**'**__This is not going the way I wanted it to.'_ He thought to himself, as he tried to wipe the blood out of his eye. His left eye was not directly hit but it was injured enough that he couldn't see well out of it.

_**'**__If that leaf ninja catches me in another genjutsu, I may not be able to break out of it.'_ Deidara thought angrily, as he continued to try and think of a way out of this mess.

**"**Kurenai-san do you see him?" Momo asked as they stood back to back in the slowly disappearing dust cloud.

**"**No but I'm sure he won't stay hidden long." Kurenai said. She looked out of the corner of her eye and saw that Hinamori's shoulders were slumped down and she seemed barley able to stay on her feet.

_**'**__She doesn't have much left. That she can fight this well against an Akatsuki is a testament of her power.'_ Kurenai thought, as she realized they needed to finish this battle now.

She was confident that Deidara was low on clay if the last few minutes of the battle were to be taken into account so she wasn't concerned with small bombs as he was sure to use the remainder on large explosives to finish the battle. Now was the time to press but without being able to see him going after him would be dangerous and stupid.

**"**Kurenai-san I can clear the rest of this dust away quickly but I don't think I'll be of much use afterwards." Hinamori stated with a panted of exhaustion.

**"**That's fine Hinamori, you've done enough. I'll take care of the rest." Kurenai said as Momo deactivated her Shikai and held out her normal zanpakuto.

**"Hado #58: Tenran!**" She called out. Her sword began to spin out of her hand and a giant tornado appeared that blew away all of the dust and smoke and revealed Deidara attempting to sneak up behind Kurenai. She turned and kicked him away and Hinamori fell forward. Kurenai grabbed her and gently lay her down.

**"**You did a great job, rest now Hinamori." Kurenai said to the nearly unconscious woman.

**"**My friends call me Momo." Momo said softly.

**"**Very well Momo." Kurenai said as she turned and jumped at Deidara, who was still just getting to his feet.

Kurenai gave him no time to defend himself and delivered a vicious kick to his head dropping him to his knees. She followed up with a quick strike with her knee to his chin bringing him face to face with her again as she drew a kunai and stabbed him in his shoulder. He cried out and tried to backhand her. She grabbed his fist before it could hit her and pulled his arm behind his back and broke it. She put a kunai to his throat and brought him to his knees.

**"**Naruto would like at least one of you alive to interrogate later so I guess you'll do." She said darkly at the downed ninja.

**"**At what makes you think I'll go quietly?" Deidara asked with a smirk.

**"**Because if you don't I'll kill you here. Like I said he'd like if one of you could be brought back alive but it's not a requirement." She replied with a smirk of her own.

**"**Then I guess it's a good thing that you can't and will never have the opportunity to kill me." Deidara answered back with a laugh as his body began to expand.

Kurenai jumped away as the copy grew larger and larger and turned to grab the downed Hinamori and break for the trees that still stood a dozen or so meters away from the previous blast zone. She just made it through the tree line as the giant clone exploded but instead of a giant powerful and fiery release only a cloud was left after the clone's explosion which was very curious to Kurenai. She continued to move as far back as she could before setting Momo down.

**"**You just don't know when to quit do you?" Kurenai looked up and saw Deidara sitting on a branch and casually swinging his legs without a care.

**"**You seem pretty confident considering you more than likely just used up the rest of your clay in that decoy." Kurenai said as she prepared for battle.

**"**A decoy? Is that what you think that was? Since you're already dead I guess I'll explain it to you. What you just saw was my C4. And it was made specifically to combat the sharingan and genjutsu. As for what it does well I'll show you. **Katsu!**" Deidara said. Kurenai moved in a defensive position but nothing happened. She looked confused and Deidara simply laughed at her.

**"**Look behind you." He said simply.

Kurenai turned and wasn't sure what she should have been seeing as all she saw was dust. However as she sharpened her gaze she saw that the dust was coming from every bird, lizard and small animal in the woods as they all at once began to disintegrate before her eyes.

**"**Once my C4 explodes it releases microscopic bombs that get in the bloodstream of every living animal in a mile radius. At my command those bombs all explode destroying my target at a molecular level. You and your friend there are both already infected and you're lives are mine." Deidara said with an evil laugh at the horrified look on Kurenai's face.

**"**Say goodbye. I'll leave your little friend there alive though. Madara will want to know about those strange powers of hers as well as that sword. You however are of no interest to any of us." Deidara said as he formed his hand sign. Kurenai threw a kunai at his head and as he swiftly dodged she appeared in front of him and tried to punch him in the face to stop him.

**"**Too late! **Katsu!**" Deidara said as Kurenai screamed in agony as she disintegrated right before his eyes.

**"**Art is a blast!" Deidara sneered, as he jumped down to apprehend Momo.

Kurenai and Hinamori looked as the kneeling Deidara before them with a wide smirk of victory on his face. He was clearly caught in a genjutsu but unlike before he would be getting free until Kurenai released him as the genjutsu mistress tied his hands and feet with chakra draining chains.

**"**Kurenai-san what did you do?" Momo asked the clearly weakened leaf Jounin. Kurenai did not look to be in great condition. Aside from the injuries she sustained from Deidara her hair was standing on end and her muscles all across her body were twitching randomly.

**"**He's final technique is something truly dangerous. However he made the mistake of showing me what his technique did before hand. I simply did the same thing I did to his mines earlier and shorted out the bombs in my system." Kurenai said.

**"**I never got to ask but how did you disable his bombs?" Hinamori asked as she grabbed Deidara and they began their trek back to their home base of operations. They wanted to help the others but neither was in any condition to do such a thing.

**"**Kakashi has been teaching me the basics of lighting chakra manipulation. All of Deidara's attacks are earth based justu and lighting chakra has a natural advantage on earth jutsu. When I used my shadow shuriken jutsu I had ulterior motive besides trying to hit him. As the kunai scattered on the ground I used the one in my hand and send my lightning chakra to each of the numerous others spread out on the battle field." She said. Seeing that Hinamori was still a bit confused she continued on.

**"**Normally lighting would disperse if it traveled through the ground harmlessly and would have done nothing to the mines but with the kunai all sticking into the ground the lighting chakra moved from the kunai in my hand to all of the others creating a web not unlike what you did earlier to stop his bomb. All of the mines underground were caught in my web and destroyed." Kurenai said with a smile at the benefits of having Kakashi begin to teach her some of his extensive knowledge on ninjutsu.

**"**But what about his final move?" Momo asked, her admiration of the leaf ninja rising as she continued to speak.

**"**After seeing what his technique would do to me I had to act fast. I had to get his eyes off of me for a split second and succeeded in doing that. Once that happened I caught him in a genjutsu and sent a wave of lighting chakra through my body to clear out all of the bombs. It was a bit desperate and relayed on a lot of luck but I was able to pull it off." She said as she had to stop and try to get her body under control. Her plan may have worked but her body still had to deal with having a large amount of electricity run through it without much guidance from her. She was still new to this and she could have caused her heart to stop had she gone too far.

**"**I thought he said genjutsu wouldn't work on him though?" Momo asked trying to clear up how Deidara was in the state he was currently in.

**"**You're the one who receives credit for that. Because of your sword he was unable to use his left eye which he told us was the means of his ability to break through my genjutsu. Even still a trained ninja normally can recognize a genjutsu but his pride once again came into play. I showed him what he wanted to see and that is the easiest way to trap someone. I'm not like Itachi Uchiha whose powers are so great that even I got caught in a genjutsu and was unable to break free. He uses overwhelming power which is what Deidara was expecting. I'm much more subtle. It's like they say sometimes you just need a woman's touch." Kurenai said with a chuckle.

**"**You truly are amazing Kurenai-san." Momo said with a large smile.

**"**As are you Momo." Kurenai said.

**"**Still had he not let his pride get in the way we would have lost this battle." Hinamori said as her smile went away and she started to get depressed.

**"**A battle is more than strength and strategy Momo. Luck and a cool head also have a lot to do with it. In the end the better opponent is the one that gets away alive." Kurenai said as she put a hand on Momo's shoulder to comfort her. Momo smiled softly and nodded in agreement.

The two female ninja continued to walk back with their captive feeling very happy that the battle was over and they were still alive though both of them found themselves worrying about a two separate male ninja's the two of them had developed feelings for that were in battle and both silently decided that they would do their best to heal and help their comrades should the need arise.

As Kurenai and Momo carried the captured Deidara across the battlefield, they suddenly felt a strong chakra presence approaching them. Both tensed, preparing themselves for battle until they felt the lack of killing intent and the recognizable chakra signature. Yugito appeared before them and blinked as she saw that the two women were victories.

"So what are you going to do with him?" Yugito asked as she growled a bit at the sight of Deidara. In her opinion every one of those Akatsuki scum deserved nothing less than death, but some of the things that Deidara had done to her during her captivity made her involuntarily shiver and she felt a bit nauseous just remembering the pain that he had caused her made the blonde Jinchuuriki begin to slowly draw upon her demon's chakra.

"We were going to take him back to Naruto and the others. Ino might be able to get some information from his mind." Kurenai said, observing Yugito closely.

Being a battle tested veteran the Genjutsu Mistress easily recognized the look in Yugito's eyes. It was the look of a woman that had been deeply wronged and was looking for a chance at revenge. She didn't know what they had done to Yugito but it could be nothing good.

"Yeah, I guess that's the right decision." Yugito said softly though the underlining hint of rage was quite clear.

"Yes, it's what almost every ninja would do when given a capture or kill order from the village's leader. However we are not fighting this battle for a village nor are we normal shinobi." Kurenai said as she placed Deidara before Yugito.

"What are you doing?" Yugito asked quickly.

"Leaving his life in your hands. Should you kill him neither of us nor Naruto and the others will care at all. The fact is that when we are victories in this battle we really won't need information on the Akatsuki as they will all be wiped out. I don't know what they did to you Yugito, but as a fellow kunoichi I can guess. If you want to look into his eyes before killing him then I won't stop you." Kurenai said, as she raised her hands and canceled her Genjutsu.

Deidara immediately looked around in confusion and noticed his situation. He immediately began to curse as he realized that he again had fallen trap to a Genjutsu. He stopped when his lone good eye landed on Yugito.

"Hn, so you're going to be my executioner my sexy little kitty cat?" Deidara said with a smirk. Yugito hit him across the face and he spat out blood yet his smirk didn't leave his face.

"Oh, don't tell me you're still upset about the fun we had during our time together. I have to say, since you've been gone, I've really missed our **_special_** alone time we shared. I especially missed your screams and the tears you always shed during our...…intimate get togethers, ha, ha, ha!" Deidara lasciviously declared, in a cruel mocking tone of voice filled with contemptuous laughter.

Yugito began to draw more and more upon the power of the Nibi, as she fought back the tears welling in her eyes listening to Deidara, before she turned to Kurenai and Momo and demanded with malevolence ringing in her voice.

"Release him!"

Kurenai walked to Deidara and took off the chakra draining chains. He slowly got to his feet but wobbled as he felt the injuries from his previous battle and the chakra exhaustion from said battle and the chains.

Yugito wasted no time and began to savagely beat Deidara. For every pain, offense, and vile indignation Deidara had inflicted upon her she attempted to return tenfold on him. She scratched out his eye, broke his arms and shattered his ribs. Even as Deidara fell to his knees before them coughing up blood and feeling the mortal wounds slowly take away his life he attempted a final verbal blow.

"You think doing this will change anything? It won't take away from what we did to, what I did to you! You will always carry the memories of our time together and the scars you bear from it will never go away…...ever!"

Deidara didn't see the hard-edged visage that spread across Yugito's face, as she stood over him and raised her hand. Her nails lengthened into sharp claws and she looked down at him with a merciless glare and proclaimed with justified hate.

"No it won't, but it is a start!"

The former Cloud kunoichi then slashed her claws in a murderous arc and took off Deidara's head with one vengeful swipe of her hand. Yugito held back the tears attempting to roll down her face, as she stared as the headless body tumble to the ground. It didn't take away all of the pain she still held from her previous battles with the Akatsuki, but she did feel a small part slowly heal within her.

Kurenai walked up and placed a comforting had on her shoulder and smiled at her. Momo smiled as well and the three women stood as one.

"Thank you." Yugito said simply as she turned and moved to find another battle to join.

"Should we follow?" Momo asked Kurenai.

"I think she needs some time to herself, besides I think we've earned a bit of rest don't you?" Kurenai said as she turned towards where Hinata's Medical unit was stationed and began walking to have her injuries attended to by her former student, as Momo followed behind her.

* * *

Once again Naruto and Sasuke rose from the ground coughing to expel some of the dust from their combined Bankai attack on Madara and gazed to where the elder Uchiha had been standing. As the dust and debris finally began to settle so they could get a good look they were met with a much more pleasing sight than before. Madara still stood, but unlike the last time, he was in much worse shape than before. His clothes were in burned tatters and his Edo-Tensei body now resembled a deformed jigsaw puzzle it was so damaged. Around him were pieces of the black-colored skeletal type frame that made up Madara's Mangekyou Sharingan created Susanoo defense turning into dust right before Naruto and Sasuke's eyes. Madara glared at his two young opponents and thought angrily to himself.

'_Damn those two, I don't where they obtained such power, but if they hit me again with it I'm finished! I need to buy some time to let my Edo-Tensei body regenerate and then I'll have to play my ultimate trump card to defeat them.'_

Meanwhile Naruto and Sasuke were breathing heavily, as their combined Bankai attack along with all the previous fighting they had endured had weakened them immensely. It was Naruto who commented while panting to his comrade.

"Tou-tough old bastard isn't he; I can't believe he's still standing after taking a direct hit from our Bankai's!"

"Well, he was able to fight the First Hokage to a standstill on several occasions in the past. I guess we shouldn't be so shocked that he was able to withstand our combined attack. At least this time we did hurt him pretty significantly by the way he looks." Sasuke replied in labored breath.

"You got enough power left in you for another Bankai?" Naruto asked.

"I don't know dobe….maybe, how about you?"

"I think so; let's hit him again before it's too late."

"I think it's already too late…look!"

Naruto gazed over to see Madara run through a series of hand signs and he shouted.

"**Moku Bunshin no Jutsu!" **(Wood Clone Technique)

Suddenly, beams of wood began to emerge from Madara's body and started to morph and form four clones of the elder Uchiha capable of utilizing all the same techniques and skills as the original. The newly formed clones stepped forward and began walking towards Naruto and Sasuke. All the two Leaf Jounin could do was utter one word in unison.

"Crap!"

* * *

As Hinata finished her medical scan of Nel, she deactivated the green chakra coursing through her hands and commented.

"You're in perfect health little Nel-chan….oops, I guess I shouldn't refer to you as little anymore."

"It's alright momma-hina, I don't mind. And you need not worry about my transformation. I've just attained my Arrancar adult form, that's all."

"But why or more importantly how are you here? We left you back and the main encampment under Ayame's supervision."

"I sort of stowed away, because I didn't want to be away from your or Naru-kun." Nel sheepishly answered.

Hinata couldn't believe the stark contrast between the free-spirited and playful personality of her child form to the now much more mature, composed, logical, sophisticated, and intelligent personality of her adult form. Hinata could also sense the immense power that Nelliel held within her adult form and wondered what would happen now? The Arrancar seemed to read Hinata's mind and spoke up in a calm yet also confident voice.

"It's true that in this form my power has grown significantly and I can and want to help Naru-kun in his battle."

As Hinata pondered this revelation, Kurenai and Momo entered the field and called out to the Hyuga girl.

A few minutes later, as Kurenai and Momo were getting their injuries healed by Hinata and Sakura. It was Kurenai who noticed the now fully grown Nelliel and asked in confusion.

"Is that the child Naruto has been caring for?"

"Hai it is, she's recently gone through some….changes." Hinata hesitantly replied.

"I would say so!"

"We're not sure what happened, but the short of it is that Nel has transformed into her adult Arrancar form. She also holds tremendous power in this form and actually saved all of us from being killed by a large force of Akatsuki followers. She wants to go and help Naru-kun in his fight against Madara and I'm thinking about letting her." Hinata stated with a little trepidation.

"I too wish to go and help Sasuke-kun in that fight as well." Momo openly declared.

"Kurenai-sensei, you're the highest ranking officer here, what do you think we should do?" Sakura asked in curiosity.

Kurenai contemplated the situation and looked around to survey the Medical unit before she asked.

"What is the situation here Hinata, do you have a lot of wounded?"

"Actually no, we do not. Daisuke has proven to be a most capable and skilled commander and casualties have been relatively light, with very few seriously wounded. It was my understanding from the last report we got from the front-lines that his forces should be victorious very soon."

"Victory is already ours Lady Hinata!" Daisuke announced as he entered the medical tent.

"Daisuke, what are you doing here, shouldn't you be at battlefield?" Hinata exclaimed in query.

"Forgive me Lady Hinata, but I learned that a sizable force of the enemy had escaped our trap before we could close it completely and were last seen headed this direction. I feared they might attack your unit, so I gathered 25 of my strongest warriors and left my second in command in charge of finishing off the remnants of the Akatsuki forces."

"They did indeed attack, but were…...dealt with and are no longer a threat." Hinata stated in certainty, as she cast a glance towards Nelliel.

"Commander Daisuke, how soon could you reposition your forces?" Kurenai questioned.

"Within the hour Lady Kurenai."

"Good, then Hinata I think we should also reposition your unit closer to the main battle Naruto is fighting and we'll have Daisuke's forces help protect it."

"My forces can help Naruto-sama in his fight!" Daisuke proclaimed in confidence.

"I'm sorry Commander, but they cannot. The battle Naruto is engaged in is beyond the strength and skills your forces can muster. The power being unleashed by the enemy in that fight is truly remarkable and only a select few individuals will be able to help stop him. Your army would be better served and more helpful to Naruto-sama in protecting the Medical unit."

"I agree with your plan Kurenai-sensei, as I want to fight alongside Naru-kun." Hinata declared.

"No Hinata, you cannot, you must stay in the safety of the Medical unit protected by Daisuke and his forces!" Kurenai sternly replied.

"But, but why, I can fight?"

"Hinata did you forget you're not fighting just to protect yourself or Naruto, but you have your unborn child to think of now."

Hinata's hand instinctively went to her stomach and she looked down and realized Kurenai was right. As much as she was worried about Naruto and wanted nothing more than to be by his side. Hinata realized her first priority was the safety of her baby. She looked up to Kurenai and nodded her head in understanding. Kurenai then turned to the other people in the tent and said.

"After we get the Medical unit repositioned and set-up under Commander Daisuke forces protection. I want you Kira, Momo, Sakura, and myself to head out and see if we can help Naruto and Sasuke take down Madara. Remembering how powerful he was during the Fourth Great Shinobi War, I fear it will take all of us to help, if we stand any chance of beating him."

"Hai Kurenai-san!" Kira, Momo, and Sakura said in agreement.

As if to confirm Kurenai's statement about Naruto and Sasuke's battle against Madara. A second explosion of even greater intensity was heard and felt, as another mushroom cloud of debris could be seen on the horizon rising into the air.

* * *

**Author Note:** Well, here my birthday gift to my readers of an update to this tale. First, I need to gratefully thank my reader Kyuubi123 for his amazing battle scene between Kurenai, Momo verses Deidara. I have to say I think he did an incredible job writing that fight, which I considered one of the most difficult one's to do considering the characters involved. However, Kyuubi123 managed to produce a fight that was both exciting and entertaining. My meager contribution to the battle was in giving Yugito a chance to extract some revenge on one of her tormentors at the end, which I felt she deserved to have considering what the Akatsuki did to her when she was their captive. Once again, I can't thank enough Kyuubi123 for his help on this story and the remarkable work he provided for it.

As I said today is my birthday, so if you wish to leave me a gift, please leave a review on this chapter, or the story overall, or place a vote for me on brown phantoms poll, or all three, lol. I will appreciate any or all of those things very much.

I do wish to thank everyone both old and new readers who took the time to review my last chapter. I took a 50% drop-off hit on reviews last chapter, but for those who did review, you all had a lot to say about it and I'm pleased that this story has such a strong fan base with readers who actually write out well thought-out reviews. Because of that, I enjoy reading many of your reviews, so please leave lots of them, as they do help a writer get a sense of the thoughts and opinions of the fans of a story. They also can help lift the spirits of an author as well. Also, to any readers who are staff members to any C2 communities, please feel free to add my story to your community if you feel it is worthy of it. I won't mind, I swear. I'll even pinkie swear if I need to?

**News: **

In 2010, my fellow author brown phantom initiated a poll asking the following question.

**Who is the best Naruto fan fiction writer on this site?**

Upon completion of that first poll I finished a very respectable 8th to which I thank all of you who voted for me on that poll very much for making that happen. Now brown phantom has decided to run a second poll asking that same question. So I humbly ask if you feel I'm worthy of being one of your 10 author picks to please place a vote for me on brown phantoms second poll. I thank you in advance for your support and normally I would provide you the links to the profile pages for brown phantom for you to use. However, one of the "oh so wonderful" changes FFnet has recently made is making it more difficult to list a link anywhere even if it's a link on their own freaking site. So just do a quick search for the author, brown phantom. As I said I finished 8th on his first poll and I would be ecstatic if I could improve on that showing, **but I will need all of your help to achieve that.**

**End of News:**

Thanks to everyone for your support of this story!

Take it easy and be good!

_**Kingkakashi**_


	32. The War vs The Akatsuki Part 4

**Do I Have A Purpose Anymore?**

**Chapter 32: "The War vs. The Akatsuki Part.4"**

Both Naruto and Sasuke were getting frustrated, as each of them fought against two wood clones of Madara, while the elder Uchiha was currently in the process of gathering his chakra and running through a series of hand seals getting ready to unleash…..something?

"Damn it, we need to take care of these clones before Madara completes whatever he's planning to do next!" Sasuke shouted in irritation, as he parried a swipe of the clone's gunbai scythe fan with his own kusanagi sword.

"I know that teme, but these clones are proving more difficult to get rid of, since we're conserving our chakra and just fighting them hand-to-hand!" Naruto replied, he dodged a swing of one of the clone's weapon.

"Well we need to something fast, because I don't think we've got much more time!"

Suddenly, the air was filled with the sound of a thousand birds chirping and a voice rang out.

"How about I render some assistance!"

A moment later, Kakashi appeared behind one of the wood clones Naruto was fighting, his chidori already activated, as he drove it straight through the back and out the chest of the clone. As the silver-haired Jounin did this he quickly threw four kunai with exploding tags attached at a clone Sasuke was fighting. This forced the clone to bring his gunbai around to knock the kunai's away, but this allowed Sasuke to sweep in and cut the clone in half with his blade. The remaining two clones jumped away to regroup, as they faced not two but three foes now. However, before anyone could move, the wood clones suddenly dissolved away, as Madara announced with confidence.

"I'm ready now!"

Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi looked nervously at one another, before they turned their attention back to the elder Uchiha who declared with malevolence.

"You three shall be the first to see the instrument of the world's destruction! It's something you've witnessed before, only this time you won't have the help of Konoha's previous Hokage's to stop it!"

Madara then slammed his hands onto the ground and began channeling his chakra into it. A moment later, the earth beneath everyone's feet began to quake. Suddenly, much to the horror of the three Leaf village shinobi, a giant monstrosity of a bijuu tree erupted from the ground and began to rise high into the sky. As the trio looked up, they could see the distinctive black spheres begin to form within the misshapen branches and they knew what the tree was creating…..bijuu bombs.

"I see you all remember this tree and with it I shall unleash one bomb after another until the surface of the earth is nothing more than a burnt wasteland!"

"We took out that tree before Uchiha-teme and we'll do it again!" Naruto shouted defiantly.

"Not this time Kyuubi-brat, I won't allow it!"

Madara then began to merge his body into the tree, while calling forth his Mangekyou Sharingan Susanoo defense to appear and engulf the bijuu tree within its skeletal frame. So now Madara had not only taken refuge within the bijuu tree, but now he had his own Susanoo now protecting both himself and the weapon he was going to use to bring forth the world's destruction, as he declared confidently.

"Try as you might fools, but you will never be able to overcome the power of the bijuu tree and that of the ultimate Uchiha Sharingan technique protecting it!"

As Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi stared at the tree now encased within Madara's Susanoo, it was Sasuke who finally voiced the question all of them had at that moment.

"How the hell are we supposed to take that thing down now? It took the power of the four Edo-Tensei Hokage's in the Fourth Great Shinobi War to help us do it last time!"

"You just answered your own question teme." Naruto calmly replied.

"Huh, what are talking about dobe?"

"He's saying Sasuke that were going to need help to take down that monstrosity once again and we're going to need it from people who are just as powerful as our Hokage's were." Kakashi spoke up in answering his former student's question.

"You mean we need the current living Kage's, but there isn't enough time to gather them before Madara starts unleashing the bijuu bombs!"

"You're right teme, there isn't enough time, but the current Kage's is not who Kakashi and I are talking about."

"Then who are you talking about dobe?"

"The Shingami's…..we're going to need the shingami's to win this battle and save the world."

* * *

"You, you're the one that's going to fight me? What a rip off, Naruto told me I'd get a good fight. You look like a damn mummy that's been buried way too long." Kenpachi said with a sigh of frustration.

Kakuzu stared at the large warrior in front of him and was unsure what to make of him. The man seemed more like a giant brute than a fighter with his torn and ragged cloths and chipped sword. That he had a small kid of his shoulder was even more confusing.

"Don't worry Ken-chan you can beat this guy really quick and then go and fight someone else!" Yachiru said with a wide smile.

"I guess you're right." Kenpachi replied, as he shooed Yachiru away and turned to face Kakuzu again.

"Are you the one that's going to fight me should be my line. I've faced dozens of opponents at the same time and walked away without a scratch. I doubt you'll be able to cut me at all with that dull blade of yours." Kakuzu stated.

"Is that a fact? Let's test that shall we!" Kenpachi said with a wide sharp toothed filled grin, as he dashed forward and swung his sword at Kakuzu.

Kakuzu raised his arm and blocked the one armed strike. Kenpachi's lone eye narrowed at failing to pierce Kakuzu's flesh. The skin on the arm that blocked the blade was a dark black and something underneath began to ripple and he jumped back to avoid the two long black tendrils that tried to go through his skull. However he did get a small scratch from one that began to bleed. Kenpachi put a hand to his wound and saw the crimson blood and his smirk turned into a full smile, but it was no less menacing.

"Well, well you might be more fun then I first thought." The former Gotei 13 Captain remarked, as he rushed forward to attack Kakuzu again.

_'What is he thinking? He should already know that he can't hurt me.'_ The Akatsuki member thought, as Kenpachi struck him across the stomach, but again failed to cut him.

Kakuzu moved forward with impressive speed and punched Kenpachi in the face. The force of the blow pushed his one-eyed foe back a few feet, but the giant thug of a man was back in moments attacking again.

"Just what do you think you're going to accomplish? You should already know that you can't cut me!" Kakuzu said irritably, as he attempted to kick his one-eyed opponent in his thick head.

The former shinigami grabbed the limb and slammed Kakuzu into the ground. Kenpachi brought his sword up and tried to put the tip of his sword through Kakuzu's eye. The Akatsuki member quickly rolled out of the way and got to his feet.

"What's wrong? I thought that you said I couldn't cut you. The fact that you dodged means that you're afraid and if you're afraid then it means I can cut you." Kenpachi said with an amused chuckle.

"Don't misunderstand; it's a natural human instinct to avoid a strike from a sword. You still can't cut me!" Kakuzu said as he raised his arms and several black tendrils shot forward, destroying the ground in front of them and flying towards Kenpachi.

The swordsman showed unexpected quickness and he avoided them with surprising ease, even grabbing onto one and pulling Kakuzu to him. Kenpachi struck again for the head and Akatsuki member quickly moved his head to the side only allowing his cheek to be grazed. Kakuzu jumped away and raised his hand to feel that his cheek had been cut.

_'Impossible! Are his strikes becoming more powerful?'_ The Akatsuki bounty hunter thought to himself, as he saw Kenpachi swing his sword a few times. The last time caused a small crack in the ground in front of him.

"It's been a while since my fight with Naruto and that crazy Yoruichi. Sorry about that, but my sword got a bit lazy with the lack of powerful opponents I've been fighting lately. All I've had as sparring partners lately are those maggots of the Crimson Blood army I've been training." Kenpachi stated, as he leapt forward in a burst of speed that put Kakuzu on his heels, before he sent more and more tendrils against his foe only to fail to contain the man.

Kenpachi spent the next minute or so dodging as well as slicing through any and all of the deadly wire like weapons until he got close to Kakuzu. The Akatsuki member raised his arm, but unlike last time he didn't send more of the thin black tendrils. Instead his forearm detached from the body, held together by more black strings, and shot forward. The hand grabbed Kenpachi by the throat and pulled him high into the air before slamming him back to the ground. Kakuzu moved to pull his arm back but found he couldn't. Kenpachi had gotten a hold of the appendage and held in his vice like grip.

"You shouldn't throw things you are prepared to lose." Kenpachi sarcastically said, as he pulled Kakuzu to him and pierced him through the heart.

"Is that all? I knew you were a waste of my time." Kenpachi spat with disappointment, as he pulled his sword out and Kakuzu fell to his knees.

"How annoying." Kenpachi declared in frustration, as he turned to walk away. He stretched his senses to find another opponent and was a bit confused when his senses told him that a powerful enemy was still behind him. Kenpachi coughed up blood suddenly and looked down to see a hand sticking through his lower abdomen.

"Are you still bored? Please forgive me. You are stronger then I initially believed. To take out one of my hearts in one blow is something that hasn't happened to me in years." The newly revived Kakazu said as he threw Kenpachi away from him. The giant of a man slowly got to his feet and turned his single eye at Kakuzu.

Kakuzu untied his Akatsuki robe and let it fall to the ground. His body was crisscrossed with black stitches and on his back were four masks, one of which had a large hole in it. The masks all ripped out of his back and formed into giant beasts whose bodies were made up of innumerable tendrils. The one mask that had been struck by Kenpachi's blade cracked and fell apart and subsequently the beast it formed also disintegrated.

'_That was the one that he took out with one strike. Still the others will be more than enough to finish him off.'_ Kakuzu thought to himself as he turned to look at the other three masks.

Each mask represented a different heart that Kakuzu had pulled out of an opponent in a previous battle and each one had a specific elemental affinity.

The mask that held a heart with the fire affinity took the shape of a demonic tiger. The lightning mask took the shape of a deformed biped. Lastly, the wind mask took the form of a strange four legged body with thin wings.

"With that wound of yours I doubt you'll last that long against my pets. Any last words?" Kakuzu asked, as he stared at the man that had to be contemplating his death. What he heard in response sent a chill of fear down his back, as it was an emotion that he hadn't felt since he'd fought the first Hokage decades ago…..fear.

Kenpachi was laughing.

The booming, joy filled sound that came from the man seemed to shake the very ground and the former shinigami lone visible eye seemed to be glow with power and the rows of sharp teeth that were visible with his smile showed nothing but joy, seemingly oblivious to the situation.

_'Ken-chan's starting to enjoy the fight.'_ Yachiru thought to herself with an easy going smile, as she felt Kenpachi's energy begin to climb.

"There's something special about seeing your own blood on the battle field don't you agree." Kenpachi said, as he raised his hand that had been covering his wound and looked at the crimson covered appendage.

"You're insane." Kakuzu said with a snort, trying to shake off the feeling of dread that had settled on him. There was no way someone with that kind of wound could last against his creatures.

"Attack! Rip him to pieces!" Kakuzu cried out, as the three masks charged at Kenpachi.

"Come on!" Kenpachi said, his smile never leaving his face as he met his attackers head on.

The fire mask opened its mouth and shot a small ball of fire at Kenpachi. Listening to his instincts the swordsman flash stepped away as the small ball hit the ground. The resulting inferno swept across the area setting trees ablaze and turning grass into ash.

Kenpachi jumped down and prepared to slash the beast apart when the wind beast slammed into him and took him into the air. It tossed the man down to the ground and shot a wind ball after him, hitting him immediately after he crashed into the ground with crushing force. The lightning beast wasted no time sending a burst of electricity through the resulting cloud of dust at the former shinigami. The blast of lightning was halted in its path and Kakuzu believed that it had pierced Kenpachi's body. When the dust settled Kenpachi was indeed bloodied but not from the lightning blast that he was currently blocking with one hand. He redirected the blast away from him and his smile never wavered.

"Not bad at all, they might even have enough power to kill me." Kenpachi said as he sped towards the beasts. He jumped over the lance of lightning the beast sent at him and punched it in the face, sending it flying back. He turned and ducked under a ball of fire sent by the beast before him and he dodged the following attacks and slicked the fire beast from shoulder to hip, letting it fall in pieces to the ground.

"Or maybe they're nothing but trash." Kenpachi proclaimed, his smile fading at how easy it had been to best one of them.

He turned his eye up to the wind beast that was still circling over head and almost didn't catch the slight shifting sound behind him. He jumped up just to avoid being caught in a wave of flames. The fire beast had reformed itself completely unharmed from the blow. Kenpachi turned and blocked a clawed hand from the wind beast. He grabbed its arm and turned the monster, jumping onto its back and slicing its wings off and throwing it to the ground. The wind beast landed directly on the fire monster and both were sent sprawling across the battlefield.

The former Gotei 13 Captain landed and began to dodge the wild yet powerful blows of the lightning beast. The mask opened and sent a lightning bolt at the hulking giant of a man who raised his zanpaktou and blocked the attack, thought the force of it pushed him back. Kenpachi deflected the bolt and moved to attack again when he felt his arms and legs becoming entangled in numerous thin black tendrils. He turned his head, the only part of his body he could move and saw Kakuzu behind him.

"Why the interference? I thought your beasts would be more than enough to defeat me." Kenpachi mocked at the Akatsuki member.

"I grow tired to waiting for them to finish you off. I have more important things to do like defeating the ninja that actually have bounties on their heads and collecting it." Kakuzu stated.

"Don't tell me you're one of those guys that fight only for money. How pathetic, a good fight is its own reward." Kenpachi said with a smirk, as the three beasts all stood together a few feet away from him and readied themselves to attack together.

"Spoken like a true brainless barbarian, it's time for you to die now." Kakuzu darkly proclaimed.

"You first!" Kakuzu looked up only to be engulfed by a fire ball courtesy of Yugito. The container of the two tailed cat extended her claws and sliced through Kenpachi's bindings.

"Kenpachi-san I am here to help you. I can handle this guy. You take his beasts." She said, never taking her eyes off of the still burning flames that encircled Kakuzu. Yugito moved to follow up her assault only to be stopped short when she felt a hand grab her shirt. She was lifted up face to face with a very irritated Kenpachi.

"I told you before kitty-cat, I will gut you like a fish if you try and help me in my fight! Now, go get in someone else's way, before I change my mind and do away with you for butting in!" Kenpachi spat menacingly, as he threw her to the ground.

Yugito got back up and the rage on her face could have set Kenpachi ablaze had it been able, as she growled out in fury.

"Naruto-kun told me to backup anyone who needed help and from where I was standing you definitely needed me to step in."

"Please. I could have broken out if I wanted to. I was curious as to how strong all three of those beasts' attacks would be at once." Kenpachi said.

"You really are crazy!" Yugito said with bewilderment.

"Whatever, find someone else to bother. I don't need nor do I want any help."

"Fine, have it your way!" Yugito hissed as she flared her demonic chakra at him.

The former Gotei 13 Captain didn't even flinch, as he gave off a brief burst of his own, that dwarfed hers. Yugito took a step back and truly looked at the man before her. She knew he was strong, but Naruto had been able to best him and his presence then hadn't frozen her completely like it just had.

_'How much stronger did he get and how much of that is he hiding?'_ Yugito thought as she saw Kakuzu emerge from the fire, the only damage he seemed to have taken was the loss of his shirt, hat and facemask.

"Ahh, the two tailed demon cat container. You are a very valuable prize. I'll have to be careful not to kill you. I think I'll just take off a leg or arm." Kakuzu announced in threatening tone of voice.

Yugito immediately took up an attack stance and readied herself only to stop when Kepachi's blade came up to her throat and stopped her.

"I told you to leave girl. I'll take this guy out without any help from you. If I wanted someone to fight with me Yachiru would be at my side." He said with a smile on his face as his opponent had risen again so easily after being blindsided by Yugito.

"Fine then but don't come complaining to me if you get your butt handed to you." Yugito muttered as she left the battle field and stood next to Yachiru. The beasts ignored her just as they had Yachiru, as Kakuzu hadn't given them an order to attack.

"Don't worry kitty-chan, Ken-chan just doesn't like to share when he's in a fight." The pink haired little girl happily stated, when Yugito walked by her.

"I can see that, what an idiot! He and Naruto-kun truly are hard headed sometimes. I guess that's why they get along so well." Yugito said as she left to assist someone else in battle.

"Glad you're back on your feet and I apologize for the interruption. Let's continue." Kenpachi said as he pointed his blade at Kakuzu.

"You deny help despite the fact you were only a moment ago in my grasp and facing death? You truly are as stupid as you look." Kakuzu said as his three beasts came to stand beside him.

"Finish him off." Kakuzu ordered, as all three of his masked creatures attacked at once.

"Bring it on!" Kenpachi shouted as he raced towards them as all three masks opened up and attacked.

He ducked under a ball of fire and redirected a bolt of lightning behind him, however the compressed wind ball hit him in the chest and pushed him back a few paces. With a cry of joy he rushed forward again, hacking and slashing at all of them. However each of his attacks that landed didn't keep them from regenerating and coming for him again. Meanwhile Kenpachi was taking more and more hits and wounds began to appear all over his body. However one thing that failed to change was the wide grin on his face.

_'What kind of man fights this way? He fights without any set style or strategy, simply wildly slashing at anything close to him.' _Kakuzu thought, as he watched Kenpachi continue to fight.

Kakuzu had met many men over his long life and each had their own reason to fight. Most did it out of obligation, either to a village, loved one, or master. Others like himself, fought for money. And yet some fought even because "it was the right thing to do". He had yet to meet someone who fought for the sake of fighting and it confused him. And things that annoyed or confused Kakuzu he killed, personally.

"Enough! Come to me." Kakuzu shouted to his beasts. The three monsters, which had been slowly but surely losing ground to Kenpachi jumped back and returned to Kakuzu. All three masks flew into his body and he began to transform.

Black tendrils began to pour of out of Kakuzu from every joint held together by the black stitches that criss-crossed his body. He looked like a giant rag doll and all three masks were present in the black tangled mass. Kenpachi stared at the new opponent with a detached expression.

"Why'd you have to go and do that? Three on one was something of a work out now you're just one big target." Kenpachi said, clearly upset and not even breathing hard despite his wounds.

"Still such a fool." Kakuzu snarled and he launched himself at Kenpachi.

Kenpachi avoided the mass of tendrils that came his way, but swiftly had to block a burst of electricity from the lightning mask. Kakuzu took advantage of this and wound his black tendrils around the spiky haired man and threw him into the air.

"Dodge this!" Kakuzu said as the fire mask opened and shot a giant fireball at Kenpachi.

Kenpachi smiled as he swung his sword and bisected the flaming projectile the two pieces harmlessly moving past him. He fell to the ground like a missile and slashed Kakuzu's right arm completely off, taking a large mass of tendrils with him. Kakuzu jumped back and his chest exploded with innumerable black projectiles that sought to skewer Kenpachi. He simply smiled and slashed down causing a large explosion of power that destroyed them easily.

Kakuzu quickly opened the fire and wind masks and the two combined their powers to send a white hot inferno racing to Kenpachi. The swordsman neither dodged nor blocked the coming assault. He calmly walked into the coming wave of fire and slowly raised his hand towards his eye patch.

"Let me show you what true power is." Kenpachi said softly, yet the words seemed to reach Kakuzu's ears all the same. Kenpachi removed his eye patch just as he was engulfed in the white hot fire Kakuzu had sent his way.

Kakuzu saw his opponent get swallowed up by his attack and relaxed for the first time in the battle. It had taken a while but the fool hadn't even attempted to defend himself and he knew from experience that when he combined the attacks of his wind and fire masks that the resulting flames were hot enough to melt steel and turn humans into nothing more than ash. Kakuzu began to laugh at the stupidity of the man and turned to the small child that he had brought with him.

"It seems you are all alone now girl. I suggest you run away unless you picked up on your former comrade's stupidity and seek to fight me." Kakuzu said with a chuckle.

"I can't fight you." Yachiru stated simply.

"Then you are already wiser then he was." Kakuzu said as he turned from her.

"No the reason I can't fight you is that Kenny is still playing with you." Yachiru chirped joyfully with a smile.

"What?" Kakuzu said in confusion. The girl must have been as insane that the man that was even now surly nothing more than a pile of bones that would quickly be burned to ash. A pulse of power went through the battlefield and Akatsuki member whirled around in shock at the inferno that was still burning.

"What is this? It's not possible." Kakuzu said as a figure appeared in the fire. The flames seemed to flow over and around the man. It was as if they refused to touch him. To Kakuzu the flames looked like the fires of hell and the smiling figure was a demon straight from its fiery depths.

Kenpachi swung his sword and the force behind it extinguished the flames completely. Both of his eyes were now visible and his power had escalated to a level Kakuzu had never felt before from anyone short of Pein and the First Hokage and even he was unsure if they could match this man's power. The yellow energy that flowed from Kenpachi seemed to be playing tricks on Kakuzu's mind for he swore that he could see the shape of a skeleton take form behind the man, no this monster in front of him.

"You look a little shook up. What's the matter?" Kenpachi said and he took a step forward. Kakuzu unconsciously took two steps back.

"Running scared? How disappointing." Kenpachi said as a frown appeared on his face. He'd hoped the man had another ace up his sleeve to keep the fight interesting but it seemed he was mistaken and the man was at his maximum power.

"You're boring me again. Guess I'll take out the trash and be done with it." Kenpachi said as he raised his sword and swung down.

Kakuzu had all three masks open and launched the combined fire, wind and lightning attacks at Kenpachi. The resulting blast of energy from the swordsman overpowered Kakuzu's in seconds and traveled at Kakuzu so fast that he was only just able to move out of the way and even then he lost his right arm and leg and the fire mask was destroyed. The missing ninja turned and saw a giant gash in the ground from the strike and knew he was no match for the man in front of him.

"You're still pretty nimble for a dead man." Kenpachi said.

"I'm not dead yet." Kakuzu said with as much conviction as he could despite his injuries.

"Give me a second." Kenpachi said from behind in annoyance.

He had moved so fast Kakuzu hadn't even seen a blur, as he turned to bring the full brunt of his remaining power to bear against Kenpachi.

Kenpachi slashed Kakuzu with his sword.

The resulting explosion of yellow colored energy would have blinded anyone watching but the results after it faded were clear to see. Both of Kakuzu's remaining masks had been destroyed as well as a majority of the black tendrils that had been spilling out of his body. Kakuzu, or what remained of him, fell to the ground. Kenpachi walked away without a word.

"W-wait." Kenpachi stopped and turned to the downed ninja.

"Why didn't you kill me?" Kakuzu weakly asked.

Indeed Kakuzu wasn't dead. He was critically injured but not fatally so.

"I don't kill weaklings." Kenpachi stated simply.

"Don't look down on me." Kakuzu said in a rage, as he somehow got back to his feet.

"A piece of filth like you has no right looking down on me!" Kakuzu declared, as he used the rest of his energy to attack Kenpachi.

With a sigh of frustration Kenpachi finished off what he considered a pathetic man off by cutting off his head. As the body fell to the ground Kenpachi resumed his trek towards Yachiru.

"He wasn't any fun was he Ken-chan?" the pink haired girl said as she jumped back onto his shoulder.

"I don't know about that. I could have been in trouble there for a second."

"Don't be silly, you could have killed him as soon as the fight started!' Yachiru said with a pout, as she swatted him on the head.

"Whatever." Kenpachi said as he continued to walk towards where he hoped someone was fighting a strong opponent.

With his sense of direction, however, Kenpachi would more than likely miss the opportunity to join anyone else's battle. However, the fates were kind to the battle-scarred shinigami when Yachiru looked up and pointed, while asking her former Gotei 13 Captain.

"Ken-chan, what's that funny looking tree growing in the distance?"

* * *

Both Yoruichi and Shunsui were racing through the forest heading towards Naruto's position when they suddenly stopped in a small clearing. Neither shinigami said a word, as their heightened senses were on high alert. After a minute, they both looked to one another and Youruichi asked.

"Do you feel that power?"

"It's kind of hard not to."

"It's such a dark power and it's coming from…over there." Yoruichi commented, before pointing to a large deformed tree rising high into the sky."

"That's where Naruto-sama is located."

"Shunsui dear, we need to kick it into high gear, for as strong as Naruto is, he's still going to need our help to take down that thing."

Shunsui nodded his head in agreement, before both former Gotei 13 Captains flash-stepped away towards Naruto's battle.

* * *

However, it wasn't just the two former shinigami's that felt the intense power coming from Madara. The Medical platoon had just reached its new location roughly a couple of miles from where Naruto was battling the elder Uchiha. Everyone gazed at the ominous looking bijuu tree with a feeling of dread. None more so than Hinata, Kurenai, and Sakura, as they had seen a similar tree years before in the Fourth Great Shinobi War and they remembered the awful destructive power of it. It was Sakura who finally voiced the silent question they all held.

"Is that what I think it is?"

"Hai Sakura, I fear we are looking at another bijuu tree." Kurenai stoically answered.

"This one doesn't appear to be in its final form, but there is some sort of strange black skeleton surrounding it." Hinata commented, while her Byakugan pulsated across her temple.

"A black skeleton?"

"That's the only way I can describe it Kurenai-sensei."

"Do you think Madara is trying to create the Infinite Tsukyomi again?"

"I don't think so Sakura, as Hinata said the tree is not in its final form and it's the wrong time of the month of the cycle of a full moon to reflect its Tsukyomi off of." Kurenai replied to her fellow kunoichi, before grimly adding.

"However, you and Hinata should remember that even though the bijuu tree isn't in its final form. It's still a very powerful and deadly weapon that can cause massive destruction unless we stop it!"

It was at that moment, Ino arrived with Yumichika and surprisingly Princess Kazahana Koyuki following behind.

"Ino-chan!" Hinata exclaimed, as she embraced her best friend in a hug.

When the two kunoichi's broke apart, Ino turned to Kurenai who ordered with authority.

"Report Ino, was your mission a success?"

"Hai it was, Zetsu is dead and as you can see Princess Kazahana Koyuki has been rescued."

"But why is she here? I thought the plan was to leave her secured in her castle until the battle was over?"

"They tried, but I refused to sit idly by while others are risking their lives to free my country and its people from this Akatsuki scum. Even as we speak, my military commanders are gathering the remnants of our forces and are preparing to march to aid all of you in defeating Madara Uchiha." Koyuki contritely answered, as she bowed in respect to Kurenai.

"Princess Kazahana, there is no need to bow to me, you are the royalty here not I."

"I bow to you out of respect Miss….?"

"Kurenai Princess Kazahana, my name is Kurenai Yuuhi. I'm a Jounin of the Village Hidden in the Leaves."

"So you and the others here are all from Naruto-kun's village?"

"Not all of us… Yumichika, why is Ikkaku not with you?" Kira sternly questioned, as Momo looked on nervously.

Yumichika could only lower his head a bit and shake it sadly at his fellow Gotei 13 officers, before he declared in admiration and certainty.

"Let us not mourn Ikkaku, because he took a lot of bastards with him into the afterlife and you know that's just the way he would want to go out."

Both Kira and Momo nodded their heads in agreement, but were still saddened by the loss of their longtime friend and comrade.

"I am sorry for the loss of your friend. I promise you he will be remembered and honored by my people, as will all of you in helping to free the Land of spring from Madara and the Akatsuki. Princess Koyuki declared, as she bowed to the three shinigami.

"I thank you for that Princess Koyuki, may I ask how many men are your military commanders marshalling?" Kurenai questioned in curiosity.

"Unfortunately, Madara and his forces killed many of my soldiers when they invaded my country. If I had to guess, I would say we maybe have 50 to 60 warriors left who are capable of fighting."

"Hmm, I was afraid of that. Princess Koyuki, while I appreciate your motivation in wanting to help to defeat Madara, I'm afraid you cannot help us."

"I don't understand, we want to help?"

"Like I explained to Commander Daisuke here, the power and skills being unleashed by Madara are extraordinary and only a select few individuals will be able to help stop him. The power Madara is able to wield is beyond the strength and skills your soldiers. If they were to engage in Naruto's fight against him they would be overmatched and slaughtered by the elder Uchiha. Your men would be better served to link up with Commander Daisuke's forces and help protect the Medical unit."

"I see, I do not wish to sacrifice the lives of my men foolishly, so I will heed to your judgment and do as you ask Kurenai-san."

"But Kurenai-sensei, we have to do something to help Naru-kun!" Hinata vehemently declared in a tense and worried voice.

"I know Hinata and we shall."

Kurenai then looked around the gathered people and announced.

"Ino, Yumichika, Kira, Momo, I want the five of us ready to move out immediately to help Naruto and the others battle Madara. I believe we also need a skilled Medic-nin to accompany us to the battle."

"Both Hinata and Sakura's faces perked up after hearing this, as each of them hoped it would be themselves that Kurenai chose.

"Sakura, I want you to be that Medic-nin."

Hinata's face became crestfallen upon hearing this, which Kurenai noticed and walked over to the Hyuga girl before saying in a comforting and soothing tone of voice.

"Hinata, you know I'm right in taking Sakura with me. I cannot and will not risk the health and safety of your unborn child, by placing you in battle."

"I, I know Kurenai-sensei, it's just that I want to help Naru-kun so badly."

"I know, but the best way you can help him is to keep your child safe and out of harm's way."

Hinata nodded her head in agreement, before Kurenai turned to Daisuke and ordered.

"Commander Daisuke, I want you and your men to protect the Medical unit and I want you personally to watch over Hinata."

"Hai Kurenai-sama, it shall be done."

"Princess Koyuki, when your soldiers arrive, you will have them bolster Commander Daisuke's forces in protecting the Medical unit."

"Yes Kurenai-san, I will give the order to do that."

"Alright, let's get set to move out!"

"Not without me!" Nelliel announced to everyone present.

"Nel, wouldn't you rather stay here with your momma-hina?"

"No Kurenai-san, I wish to help my Naru-kun and in my Arrancar adult form I've now attained the power to be able help him in his battle."

Kurenai looked to the former shinigami, as they understood the nature of what an Arrancar is better than she and it was Kira who spoke up and said.

"Nel does hold tremendous power in her adult form and we might need that power if we are to defeat Madara."

Kurenai thought about it for a moment, before she exhaled a small sigh and said.

"Very well, you may join us if you so choose Nel."

Nel, nodded her head in understanding, before she turned and hugged Hinata goodbye, followed by Ino. As Ino and Hinata hugged one last time, the Yamanaka girl whispered into her friend's ear.

"Don't worry Hinata; I'll make sure nothing happens to Naru-kun, I'll bring him back to both of us I promise."

Hinata tightened her embrace on Ino a bit, before she let go and smiled at her friend. Hinata's stomach tightened a bit, as she watched her friends and comrades sprint away towards where Naruto was battling Madara. A lone tear rolled down her cheek, as she silently prayed to Kami for all of them to return to her safe and unharmed along with her beloved Naru-kun.

Meanwhile, a 200 yards away in a nearby forest, two eyes peaking through its dense foliage narrowed in anger and frustration. Kiba gritted his teeth in fury, as he glared at Hinata in the distance, while keeping himself hidden from her view. After a minute, the Inuzuka heir spat to himself with disgust.

"Damn it, I can't get anywhere near Hinata, not with that big guy with the axe following her around. I'll have to wait to settle things with that slut later. Oh well, I guess it's Naruto who will die first, but I have to be careful. Hopefully, whoever that wife-stealing asshole is fighting can fuck him enough that I can sneak in and deliver the final killing blow. Then I'll cut his head off and bring it back for Hinata to see before I kill her and that bastard she's carrying inside her. I'd better head out and pick-up the trail of my former whore of sensei. I'm sure she's heading towards where Naruto is and judging by the direction they went, I'd say they are all heading for that freaky looking tree a few miles from here."

Kiba retreated into the dark forest and sprinted away to follow Kurenai to lead him to the one he so dearly wished to kill, his former friend and comrade…Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze.

* * *

"Damn it, what are we going to do? We have to stop Madara before he unleashes those bijuu bombs!" Sasuke exclaimed in apprehension.

"Foolish kinsman, there is nothing you three can do to stop me! Even with your combined power, it still won't be enough against the awesome might of the bijuu I now control." Madara replied derisively in smug confidence.

"Then how about we throw our power into the mix asshole!" Yoruichi declared, as she and Shunsui suddenly appeared next to Naruto.

Madara glared down at the

slender, dark-skinned woman who had arrived with companion and insulted him. He noted that she was average height, with golden-colored eyes and long purple hair, which she kept in a ponytail. This strange woman's attire consisted of a black, backless, sleeveless undershirt, with an orange over-shirt with two white straps on each shoulder. She also wore a large beige sash around her waist and black stretch pants with a pair of lightweight brown shoes. Upon first view, this woman appeared to be of little threat to the elder Uchiha, but Madara could sense that she held great power within her. However, the power she held was nothing in comparison to her straw hat wearing companion, as Madara turned his attention to him.

The man standing beside Yoruichi was tall, light-skinned, and with high cheekbones with thin facial hair around his mouth and on his cheeks, grey eyes and long wavy brown hair. His hair was tied in a long ponytail and he had long bangs that framed the left side of his face. He also had a noticeable amount of body hair on his chest, feet, and arms. However, the attire of the man confused Madara, as it was not something a warrior would wear. The man wore a straw hat and a pink, flowered lady's kimono, which he draped across his shoulders and over a simple white shitagi undershirt, a black kosode overshirt, and a black hakama kimono skirt. Madara's eyes narrowed, as while Shunsui's attire was odd, he could still sense the tremendous the former shinigami held. However, Madara concluded that even with the additional power added to what Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi held, it was still insufficient to the power of the bijuu he could call upon and he spat with arrogance.

"Bah, I don't know who you two interlopers are, but it matters not to me. If you choose to side with the Kyuubi brat, then you may join him in death as well."

Madara then unleashed one of the bijuu bombs he had created, sending it towards Naruto and everyone around him. Suddenly Naruto stepped forward and shouted while flashing through a series of hand-signs.

"**Makaze Suidou no jutsu!" **(Evil Wind Tunnel technique)

Instantly a swirling vortex of wind laced with telltale sign of the Kyuubi's red chakra erupted from Naruto's hands. As the tornado of wind rose in the air, it quickly swallowed not only the the bijuu bomb Madara had unleashed, but also the other three around the tree. The column of swirling wind rose higher and higher, as Naruto silently spoke to his tenant.

'_Pour in as much of your chakra as you can Kurama, we've got to contain the explosion of the bijuu bombs within my wind tunnel!'_

"**I'm doing it kit, but did you really have to name this jutsu evil? I'm not really that evil anymore!"**

'_Sorry, I'll think of a new name later, right now I need to redirect the explosion into the sky!'_

As if on cue, the four bijuu bombs within Naruto's wind tunnel exploded with monstrous force. However, Naruto's Kyuubi powered jutsu was up to the task and contained the blast, while at the same time redirecting and funneling it up and out of the tunnel into the sky. Still the power of the blast could still be felt, as the concussive impact of the explosion literally shook the ground for miles around. Naruto dropped to the ground on one knee panting, before Kakashi asked with genuine concern for his former pupil.

"Naruto, are you alright?"

"I'm, I'm ok, I just need a minute to recover. I had to use a lot of Kurama's chakra to redirect the explosion away to protect us."

"Who is Kurama?" Sasuke asked in confusion

"Kurama is the true name of the Kyuubi no Youko within me."

"I have to compliment you Naruto that was ingenious on your part on how you saved us. Using bijuu power against bijuu power was very clever." Kakashi offered up in compliment.

"Th-thanks Kakashi-sen…..Kakashi."

"Oh yeah, now that's what I'm talking about!" Kenpachi shouted in appreciation, as he stepped out of the forest with Yachiru still sitting on his shoulder.

Everyone turned their attention to the large hulking man walking towards them, who continued express his joy of the situation.

"Can you just feel the power coming from that guy Yachiru."

"I sure can Kenny; it feels real dark and powerful."

"Yeah it does, I think this guy might actually be able to kill me. It's perfect, he's just the strong opponent I was looking for to fight, a lot stronger than that Kakuzu asshole I finished off a little while ago!" Zaraki declared with glee in his voice.

"You killed Kakuzu!" Madara exclaimed in disbelief.

"Yeah I did, and I can't wait to kill you!"

"You can scratch off Orochimaru and Kabuto as well." Yoruichi announced with pride.

"Obito won't be coming to help you this time either Madara!" Kakashi declared with a hint of sadness in his voice.

"Neither will Deidara, you Uchiha bastard!" Yugito spat with malevolence towards Madara. As she emerged from a nearby forest.

"Zetsu is pushing up daisies as well!" Ino proclaimed, as she arrived along with Kurenai, Yumichika, Kira, Nelliel and Momo.

"Your Akatuski followers have also been eliminated Madara!" Kurenai proclaimed for everybody to hear.

Everyone soon formed up with Naruto and all 13 warriors readied themselves to battle Madara and end his life once and for all.

For his part, the elder Uchiha could only glare with fury at this _baker's dozen_ of fighters standing before him. He remembered how they had stood defiantly against him during the Fourth Great Shinobi War. It infuriated Madara that some of these same people had helped in his defeat during that war. And he silently vowed to himself that he would not let that happen again, as he spat in angered fury.

"So you managed to take down all of my Akatsuki, even my followers, you bastards! I guess it's my fault, I obviously overestimated their power and capabilities in being able to defeat mongrels like you!"

Madara then flashed a sizable amount of killing intent at his opponents, before he declared with unbridled confidence and certainty.

"No matter, I guess I must follow the old adage."

"_**If you want something done right, then you have to do it yourself!"**_

Madara then grinned wickedly, before he announced.

"And what I want done right is for all of you to...…DIE"

* * *

**Author Note:** Well, as you can see the story is building to its ultimate climatic finale. First, I need to gratefully thank my reader Kyuubi123 for once again crafting another amazing battle scene. This time between Kenpachi Zaraki and Kakuzu. I have to say I think he did an incredible job writing that fight, as it was action-packed, exciting, and entertaining. My meager contribution to the battle was purely of a grammatical nature for the most part. Once again, I can't thank enough Kyuubi123 for his help on this story and the remarkable work he provided for it.

I do wish to thank everyone both old and new readers who took the time to review my last chapter. You all had a lot to say about it and I'm pleased that this story has such a strong fan base with readers who actually write out well thought-out reviews. Because of that, I enjoy reading many of your reviews, so please leave lots of them, as they do help a writer get a sense of the thoughts and opinions of the fans of a story. They also can help lift the spirits of an author as well. Also, to any readers who are staff members to any C2 communities, please feel free to add my story to your community if you feel it is worthy of it. I won't mind, I swear. I'll even pinkie swear if I need to?

**Important News:**

A couple of my fellow authors on this site dracohalo117 and Leaf Ranger informed me of something that could affect all of us in the future. ...SOPA is back! That's right people, the bill that is threatening to take away our freedoms on the internet and beyond is BACK, and not only is it back, but it is trying to be passed quietly so nobody notices, SOPA will guarantee that anybody who streams a video, whether it be on youtube, a walkthrough for a video game, or a kid singing a song that is 'copyrighted' they will be treated as a felon, that is right, a FELON, do you understand me? YOU will be treated like the highest form of criminal for uploading a video game walkthrough on youtube, for singing a song on karaoke, hell, you could be arrested and treated as a felon for posting a screenshot...

Now, why am I telling you this? Because this is only just the beginning, how long until Fanfiction is being attacked, how long until a fanfiction writer is being carted off to a maximum state prison for writing a character from Naruto into their fanfic, or a character from Bleach, or a character from Sekirei or Seikon no Qwaser, Highschool DxD, Trinity Blood, Witchblade, how long until THAT crap is happening? I assure you that if this passes, it will not be long, oh no, it will not be long at all, because once this passes, then ANYTHING goes, Fanfiction will be attacked for using canon characters in a fanon manner, authors will be arrested for writing a book whose main character has glasses, just like in another series, artists will be arrested and confined for using sapphire blue in the iris of one of their characters like another author. We CANNOT let this happen!

You can find several petitions to stop this oppressive bill on ipetitions . com

* * *

In 2010, my fellow author brown phantom initiated a poll asking the following question.

**Who is the best Naruto fan fiction writer on this site?**

Upon completion of that first poll I finished a very respectable 8th to which I thank all of you who voted for me on that poll very much for making that happen. Now brown phantom has decided to run a second poll asking that same question. So I humbly ask if you feel I'm worthy of being one of your 10 author picks to please place a vote for me on brown phantoms second poll. I thank you in advance for your support and normally I would provide you the links to the profile pages for brown phantom for you to use. However, one of the "oh so wonderful" changes FFnet has recently made is making it more difficult to list a link anywhere even if it's a link on their own freaking site. So just do a quick search for the author, brown phantom. As I said I finished 8th on his first poll and I would be ecstatic if I could improve on that showing, **but I will need all of your help to achieve that.**

**End of News:**

Thanks to everyone for your support of this story!

Take it easy and be good!

**_Kingkakashi_**


	33. The War vs The Akatsuki Part 5

**Do I Have A Purpose Anymore?**

**Chapter 33: "The War vs. The Akatsuki Part.5 (The Final Battle)"**

* * *

"And what I want done right is for all of you to…DIE!"

Madara shouted out with malevolence, before he thrust his arm downward, which his Susanoo mimicked and the huge blade it held sped forward in a murderous arc towards the warriors below.

"Damn it!" Sasuke shouted, as he activated his own Sharingan Susanoo and barely blocked the sword with his bow. However, almost immediately the Susanoo bow began to buckle and crack under the pressure of the blade and the young Uchiha shouted out in a strained voice.

"Hey dobe, I could use a little help here!"

Unfortunately, Naruto was in no shape to offer any assistance, as he was kneeling down on one knee and breathing heavily. He still had not recovered yet from using Kurama's chakra to capture and redirect the four bijuu bombs moments earlier. In fact his chakra reserves were quite depleted and he didn't know how he was going to help Sasuke. That's when he heard Shunsui, Yoruichi, Kira, Yumachiki, and Momo chant in unison, while holding their palms upward towards the blade.

"_**Sprinkled on the bones of the beast! Sharp tower, red crystal, steel ring. Move and become the wind, stop and become the calm. The sound of warring spears fills the empty castle!" **_

Suddenly, an orb of yellow lighting appeared above the palm of their hands. And just as Madara's Susanoo blade broke through Sasuke's bow, all five shinigami cried out.

"**Hado #63 Raikoho!" **_(Thunder Roar Sear)_

Immediately a massive concentration of energy that appeared as a high level lightning strike erupted from their palms and struck the oncoming sword. Madara was shocked that this massive wave of yellow energy actually stopped his Susanoo blade and then was so powerful it was able to repel his attack.

As the shinigami were stopping Madara's attack, both Nel and Sakura ran over to Naruto and the green-haired Arrancar cried out.

"Naru-kun!"

As Naruto lifted his head to Nel's cry, his face was suddenly pulled into his surrogate daughter's now ample cleavage, as she hugged him tightly to her.

"Oh Naru-kun, are you alright?" Nel asked with concern.

Naruto attempted to answer, but was finding it difficult to breathe, as Nelliel was hugging him so tightly to her bosom. Gathering what remaining strength he had, Naruto was able to push his face away and said in a gasping voice.

"Nel-Nelliel, is that you?"

"Yes Naru-kun, it's me."

"Wh-what happened to you?" Naruto asked in a shocked tone of voice, as for the first time he got a good look at her transformed state.

"I know I must look very different, but you need not worry about my transformation. I've just attained my adult Arrancar form, that's all."

It was at this moment that Sakura moved in and attempted to heal and restore Naruto's chakra, before he caught her hands and leveled a hard glare at her.

Sakura was hurt by the look Naruto was giving her and she felt some tears well in her eyes, before she pleaded in a soft voice.

"Please Naruto-ku…Naruto, I just want to help you."

Naruto hesitated a moment, before he let go of Sakura's hands and turned his attention back to Nelliel and asked.

"Why are you here Nel-chan, you should be back at the camp in safety with Hinata-chan."

Sakura slightly winced upon hearing Naruto attach the loving suffix _chan _to Hinata's name, but maintained her concentration, as she continued to replenish his chakra.

"I, I want to help Naru-kun, in this form my power has grown significantly and I can and want to help you in this battle." Nel stammered in reply.

"I don't know?" Naruto hesitantly replied with concern.

"Please, let me help you Papa-Naru."

Naruto's eyes widened a bit upon hearing Nel, as this was the first time she had ever addressed him as her father. Now Naruto was even more inclined to be protective of her and desperately searched for some reason that would convince the girl to go back to the safety of the Medical camp. Unfortunately, it was doubtful that Madara would let any of them leave, as another explosion rocked the battlefield.

Once again, the shinigami had managed to repel another Susanoo attack from Madara, but Naruto could see that they were starting to get fatigued. Calling out to everyone to move to his position, Naruto slowly rose to his feet, as Sakura pulled her hands away from his shoulders. Turning around, the blonde Jinchuuriki flashed a small smile at his former teammate and said.

"It seems baa-chan taught you well Sakura, thanks I feel a lot better now."

"You're welcome Naruto, I, I know this isn't the right time, but I need to talk to you."

"I know Sakura and we will. As soon as we take down Madara and everyone is safe, I promise you we'll talk then."

Sakura nodded her head in understanding.

When everyone had converged onto Naruto's position, he looked over to Madara who had his eyes closed and he seemed uninterested in them at the moment. This confused Naruto, until he looked up and saw that Madara was reforming another bijuu bomb and he commented.

"Ok everyone, we don't have much time. I think we all need to split up and attack Madara separately. We have the edge in speed between the shinigami and their Shunpo (flash-step) technique, as well as our own Shushin technique. Because if we stay together and the Uchiha-teme manages to score a hit, then it's game over for all of us."

Everyone nodded their head in agreement, before Sasuke asked.

"I have no problem with the hit-n-run strategy dobe, but what attacks should we use?"

"Whatever the strongest attacks everyone has teme. We've got to bring down Madara's Susanoo defense that is protecting him and the bijuu tree."

"I agree with your plan Naruto, but I think you and Sasuke need to hold back and let the rest of us carryout the attack. You two have been battling Madara longer than us and your strength has been depleted significantly." Kakashi offered up in suggestion.

"I'm better than I was thanks to Sakura, but you're right about the teme. She should replenish his chakra as well, because we're going to need his Susanoo to take that bastard down once and for all."

"My Susanoo won't work; it was only able to stop his Susanoo attack for a few seconds. I think Madara has increased his technique's strength somehow."

"This Madara fellow has enhanced and strengthened it using demonic chakra or as we call it reiatsu. We can sense it emanating from his Susanoo frame surrounding him and the tree." Shunsui openly commented, while the rest of the shinigami present nodded their heads in agreement.

"How are we going to take it down if he's reinforced it using bijuu chakra?" Sasuke questioned, as Sakura placed her hands onto his shoulders from behind and began to replenish the Uchiha's chakra.

"I think I've got one attack that might take down Madara's Susanoo, but I've got to go into Sage-mode to do it and that's going to take me a little bit of time."

"We can buy you the time Naruto, but what exactly are you planning for this attack of yours?"

"I'm going to combine my Senju chakra with Kurama's chakra and use it to create the most massive attack I can think of the Cho Odama Rasengan: (Ultra-Big Ball Spiraling Sphere)"

"Will it be strong enough to take down the Susanoo defense?"

"I don't know, I figured I would first hit Madara's Susanoo with my most powerful Zanpaktou attack the Getsuga Tensho first and then follow up with the Cho Odama Rasengan."

"Are those two attacks going to be enough dobe?

"I don't know teme, but it's all I've got, I just need the time to create it"

"We'll give you the time Naruto-sama, I promise."

"Thanks Shunsui, since you know the powers and abilities of your fellow shinigami, you take charge of them in the fight, while Kakashi can take charge of the others."

Both Shunsui and Kakashi nodded their heads in agreement, before Naruto added with sincerity and concern.

"But all of you be careful out there, don't go dying on me."

Another nod from Shunsui conveyed his understanding and a moment later he, Yoruichi, Momo, Kira, Kenpachi with Yachiru perched on his shoulder and Yumachika flash-stepped away.

"Yugito, Ino, I want you to take up position on the left flank of Madara's Susanoo, I'll join you both there shortly."

Yugito and Ino nodded their heads in understanding, before they each gave a fervent look towards Naruto who in return gave a reassuring smile to both of them, before they raced off to take up the position Kakashi had ordered them to take.

"Sakura you stay here and finish healing Sasuke and then the both of you can join the rest of us in the battle. However, when you get there I want you to hang back Sakura, because we can't afford to lose our lone Medic on the battlefield. Help out when you safely can, but don't take any unnecessary risks. I want you to watch over her Sasuke during the fight." Kakashi ordered with authority.

Sasuke scowled for a moment, before he reluctantly answered.

"Hai Kakashi-sensei."

"Kurenai will watch over and protect Naruto, while he is gathering his Senjutsu chakra for his attack."

"No, I will be on the battlefield with you Kakashi-ku...Kakashi."

Now it was Kakashi's turn to scowl a bit, before he said with a hard-edge to his voice.

"Could I have a word with you Kurenai."

The Genjutsu mistress nodded her head and both Jounin stepped away from the others for a private conversation. Once they were a sufficient distance away from any prying ears, Kakashi spoke in a tense voice.

"Now look Kurenai, I don't want..."

"No, you look Kakashi, I've told you before, I'm not some stereotypical damsel in distress who needs a man to always protect her. I'm a Leaf village Jounin and I've worked hard to achieve the rank. Please don't insult me by trying to keep me out of harm's way. Please Kakashi-kun I love you and I don't want to argue with you, but don't try to keep me out of this fight." Kurenai sternly snapped interrupting Kakashi.

The silver-haired Jounin looked down and saw Kurenai gazing at him with love and admiration smiling brightly….a smile that should have made him happy….and it did….but in a bittersweet way. Finally he tore himself away from her withering gaze and spat with frustration.

"Damn it, I'm not trying to insult you by keeping you safe, it's just I'm, I'm..."

"You're what?"

"I'm scared." Kakashi softly answered.

"What are you scared of?"

"This! You and me! You loving me, it scares me death! My life is a curse Kurenai; it can't be shared with anyone who cares for me. Because everyone who has come to care about me and I them in my life…..dies.

"You're afraid of me."

"No, I'm not afraid of you, I'm afraid for you."

"I'm sorry, you may believe that your life is cursed but I don't. And even if it is, I don't care Kakashi-kun. I've finally found something that I was beginning to believe I would never have in my life, someone to love and to love me in return. I'm not about to let that go out of fear."

"You mustn't love me Kurenai."

"That's for me to decide Kakashi-kun not you."

"I can't change your mind can I about participating in this battle?"

"If I'm going to die I'd rather it be with the man I love than anything else." Kurenai replied, before she embraced the silver-haired Jounin in a loving hug.

"So Kakashi-sensei and Kurenai-sensei, who would have ever guessed that?" Naruto openly remarked, as he saw the two Jounin hugging one another in the distance.

"It knocked me for a loop when I walked in on them in bed together." Sasuke answered in mild amusement.

As Naruto turned to look back at Sasuke with Sakura still healing and replenishing his chakra, a feeling of sad nostalgia swept through his mind. A few seconds later the blonde Jinchuuriki commented in a wistful yet also biting tone of voice.

"Well doesn't this bring back fond memories. Team #7 reunited and look it's just like old times me off to the side while Sakura fawns all over you teme. Much as I'd like stay and relieve this scene...again. I need to start gathering my Senjutsu chakra and since Kakashi's going to lose his argument, Nelliel you can watch over me."

"Of course Papa-Naru, I will protect you."

A second later both Naruto and Nel disappeared in a swirl of leaves leaving behind his two former teammates.

As Sakura and Sasuke watched Naruto and his surrogate daughter vanish from sight, it was Sakura who commented in a saddened tone of voice.

"He's still so bitter when he sees us together."

"Bitter Ha! We should be grateful if that's all he feels towards us. If it were anyone else they would hate us with every fiber of their being, if we had done to them what we've done to him over the years."

"I know we should have treated Naruto better when we were a team, but we were young and foolish. But I don't think we did anything that should make him hate us with every fiber of his being as you put it." Sakura offered up in excuse.

"Why would you say something so stupid Sakura? I only tried to kill the dobe on several occasions in the past. I'm pretty sure that's a valid enough reason for him to hate me if he wanted to!" Sasuke fired back, as his anger began to grow towards his former fiancé.

"But Naruto forgave you for that Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke winced upon hearing that affectionate suffix Sakura always addressed him by, but grew even angrier when he heard her remark.

"I know I've done some things to hurt Naruto and I'm sorry about that, but I don't think I've done anything that would make him hate me to the degree you say he should."

Sasuke turned his head around to level a harsh glare at Sakura, which sent a shiver down her spine, before he turned back around and darkly declared.

"You should have told me the truth Sakura."

"I don't know what you mean; tell you the truth about what?"

"Do you remember the day I asked you to be my girlfriend?"

"Y-yes, I remember."

"Then do you remember what I asked you before that?"

Sakura bit her lip and knew what Sasuke referring to, but she couldn't vocally admit it. After a minute Sasuke spoke up once again and said.

"I'll take your silence as confirmation that you do remember what I asked. Which then begs the question of why did you lie to me Sakura? Why did you tell me that the two of you were just friends while I was gone? When the truth was you had been together for three fucking years, before Naruto brought me back!" Sasuke spat angrily.

Sakura's throat went dry and her stomach twisted into a tight knot upon hearing Sasuke's question and she struggled desperately to try and answer, but couldn't seem to find the words. However, Sasuke's held no more patience for his former teammate and fiance' and he snapped with fury.

"Damn it Sakura...Answer me! Why did you lie to me?"

"I, I lied because I thought I loved you and was scared if I told you about me and Naruto that I would lose any chance of being with you."

Sasuke fumed silently, while Sakura continued to replenish his chakra, before he replied in pained tone of voice.

"As much as I hate to say it, but you were right. I never would have asked you to be my girlfriend if I had known that. I couldn't do that to Naruto if I knew you two were in a relationship knowing how long and how much he loved you. Which is why what happened after that makes me sick to my stomach."

"Y-you mean when we first made love?" Sakura asked in a hurt voice.

Sasuke heard Sakura's pain-filled voice, but it meant little to him now as he somberly answered.

"It's not what we did that makes me sick to my stomach, but the fact I know Naruto had to witness it."

"Wh-what are talking about?" Sakura asked in confusion.

"I'm talking about that day in the hospital when I asked you to be my girlfriend and we made love for the first time, Naruto saw us."

"N-no, that can't be true." Sakura exclaimed in a panic.

"It's true and it gets even worse. Naruto came by my room that day because he was going to propose to you and ask me to be his best man. And what sight was he greeted with when he arrived at my room. He got to see me his supposed best-friend and surrogate brother fucking the girl he had loved his entire life. The same girl he had decided he wanted to spend the rest of his life with."

Sakura dropped to her knees as the once happy memory of that day had now become a source of incredible pain, as she spoke in a gasping choked voice with tears streaming down her face.

"I, I never knew he saw that! I never even questioned why he broke up with me when I saw him later that day. All he said was that he knew I loved you and that he would step aside so the two of us could be happy and he walked out of my apartment. At the time I was just so relieved that I didn't have to break up with him on my own. Oh Kami, what did I do to Naruto, he must hate me and I don't blame him."

"He doesn't hate you Sakura or even me, which is a miracle because Kami knows we deserve his hate. I can't even imagine the pain and anger he must have felt seeing us together like that. How he had enough self-control not to kill the two of us right then and there I'll never know. If the situation had been reversed I know I wouldn't have had that self-control."

"Kami, for how much the two of us have hurt him, we can't even ask him for forgiveness can we?"

"No we can't Sakura, all we can do is pray to Kami that one day he will. We do have one thing in our favor though."

"What's that?"

"It's that of anyone I've ever met or known, no one has the capacity to forgive as much as Naruto does. It's one of the things that make him so special and a better person and human being than you and I can ever be."

A moment later Kakashi came marching up with Kurenai beside him and he looked around and asked.

"Where is Naruto?"

"He's over there about 100 yards gathering his Senjutsu. He figured you were going to lose your argument about Kurenai-sensei protecting him, so his kid is going to do it." Sasuke answered, while pointing to where Naruto and Nel were.

"I didn't lose any argument; we just came to a compromise!" Kakashi replied in annoyance.

"So does that mean Kurenai-sensei is going to stay behind and protect the dobe?"

"No it does not." Kurenai sternly answered.

"So where was compromise Kakashi-sensei?"

"Shut up Sasuke." The silver-haired Jounin replied with irritation, before adding.

"It looks like Shunsui and the rest of the shinigami's are in position to attack. We need to get to Yugito and Ino's position now. Are the three of you ready?"

All three Leaf shinobi bore determined looks upon their faces and nodded to Kakashi, before all four of them shushin'd away in swirl of leaves.

* * *

As the battle began, it soon became clear that both combatants had clear advantages and disadvantages working for them. Madara was indeed powerful, but by merging himself with the bijuu tree he had limited himself to using only his Sharingan Susanoo for both attack and defense. While his opponents held the advantage of numbers, speed, and a myriad of attacks they could unleash. However, even with these advantages the shinigami and Leaf shinobi found they could do little against the bijuu reinforced Susanoo that Madara wielded.

So for the next half hour the battle had degenerated into a hit-n-run affair of the shinigami and shinobi unleashing attack after attack onto the Susanoo skeletal being, while also dodging the massive blade it held. In fact if one were to look upon the scene from a distance, it was almost akin to someone flailing away at flying stinging bees with a sword. Unfortunately, stinging was the appropriate word, as the shinigami and shinobi found that even if they were able to inflict some damage onto the skeletal frame of the Susanoo, it would quickly repair itself thanks to the infusion of bijuu chakra it was receiving from Madara.

As the Susanoo being swung his blade again at one of his opponents and missed yet again. The frustration that had been growing within Madara came to a boiling point and he shouted out in angered malevolence.

"Enough of this! You bothersome insects may be able to dodge my strikes, but attempt to dodge the power of a bijuu bomb explosion!"

Madara then thrust his arm downward and the bijuu bomb fell downwards towards the battlefield.

"No...!"

Naruto shouted in alarm and was about to cease his Sage-mode in gathering Senjutsu chakra to activate his Evil Wind Technique and once again to try and capture and redirect the bijuu bomb, before he heard Sasuke shout.

"Don't do it dobe! Keep gathering your chakra, we'll be alright!"

Sasuke then activated his own Sharingan Susanoo and using its frame enveloped himself, Sakura, Kurenai, Ino, Yugito, and Kakashi within it. While Shunsui shouted out an order to his shinigami comrades.

"Shinigami, Kido Pyramid Barrier!"

A moment later, all the shinigami formed a green pyramid-shaped barrier around themselves, while Yachiru suddenly appeared in front of Naruto and Nel and chirped happily.

"Kenny sent me here protect the two of you!"

The little pink-haired shinigami then erected the same green pyramid-shaped barrier around them just as the bijuu bomb struck the battlefield and exploded with tremendous force.

This defensive barrier technique was created by Head Captain Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto and was immensely strong, able to resist all but the strongest of attacks. Regrettably, the immense power of a bijuu bomb explosion proved to be one of those attacks. The barriers were able to hold long enough until the explosion began to disperse, but eventually they shattered and sent the shinigami flying in various directions.

Sasuke's Susanoo lasted just as long, but only because Yugito had managed to reinforce it with her own bijuu chakra. However, even that was not enough to prevent it to crumbling to the ground in pieces, but fortunately both barriers had successfully protected everyone.

* * *

As Momo landed in some nearby woods near the battlefield, she struggled to get up, as she was quite fatigued and dazed because of the reiatsu she had to use for the barrier. So she never even sensed the individual who snuck up behind her and thus was unprepared when she turned around for the vicious strike across chest opening up deep claw-like lacerations, as she fell to the ground unconscious.

Kiba stood over Momo's prone body and smirked with pride at what he had done, before he remarked to himself.

"Not a bad looking bitch, kind of reminds me of Hinata, but she doesn't have the tits. If I had the time I'd stick around and have a little fun with her, but I've got a certain wife-stealing demon bastard to kill!"

Kiba then reached down and picked up Momo's Zanpaktou and keenly inspected it, before saying with a hint of evil and malice in his voice.

"And this little item should help me out nicely in accomplishing that!"

Kiba then stealthily crept back into the forest to patiently wait for the most opportune time to strike.

* * *

As the Gotei shinigami picked themselves up from the ground, they all converged on Sasuke's position and watched as the dust and debris began to dissipate and settle from the explosion. A feeling of frustration spread through all of them when they saw Madara still merged within the bijuu tree and still encased and protected by his Susanoo warrior, which looked as though it didn't have a scratch on it from the explosion.

Madara gazed down and saw the looks of resignation and defeat upon his opponents' faces and grinned to himself, before he declared with contempt to them.

"Impressive that all of you were able to survive, but I highly doubt that you will be able to pull that trick off a second time! Take some time to pray to whichever God's you worship. Your deaths will come very shortly."

Madara then closed his eyes and began the process of creating yet another bijuu bomb.

Everyone seemed to exhale a sigh of resignation, as they were tired, frustrated and out of ideas on what they could do to stop Madara, as Shunsui commented.

"Well, this really sucks, we've used just about every Kido spell and Bankai at our disposal and we can't seem to inflict any damage to that monstrosity."

"That's not entirely true; we have inflicted damage onto the Susanoo." Kakashi stated.

"A fat lot of good it does us when the damn thing heals the damage almost immediately when we inflict it!" Kenpachi groused in anger.

"Wait a minute, where's Momo?" Sasuke exclaimed in a worried voice, as he and everyone began to look around.

It was Sasuke who first spotted the shinigami officer stumble out of the woods holding her chest, before she weakly called out, as she collapsed to the ground.

"Sas-Sasuke-kun."

"Momo!" Sasuke cried out, before he shushin'd away to appear next to her. He lifted the young woman into his arms and quickly reappeared where the others and shouted.

"Sakura, please help her, she's been hurt!"

Sasuke laid Momo down to the ground and Sakura's hands began to glow in a green chakra light, as she ran them over the wounds the girl had.

"Did the explosion do that Sakura?"

"No Kurenai-sensei, these injuries aren't consistent with the wounds you would receive from an explosion. The way these lacerations look, it's almost as if she was attacked by some sort of animal."

"Can you help her?" Sasuke asked in a worried voice.

"She's important to you isn't she Sasuke."

"Yes...she is." Sasuke softly replied, while he cradled Momo's head in his lap.

"I can help her; she'll be alright in awhile."

"Ok, while the pink-haired medic is helping Momo, what are we going to do about that old bastard in the tree?"

"We're going to follow through with our original plan Yoruichi" Naruto announced as he, Nelliel, and Yachiru appeared beside them, before adding in a determined voice.

"I'm going hit Madara's Susanoo with my most powerful Zanpaktou attack the Getsuga Tensho first and then follow up with the Cho Odama Rasengan combined Senjutsu chakra and Kurama's chakra.

"Have you gathered enough Senjutsu chakra Naruto?"

"I don't know Kakashi-sensei, but what I've got will have to do, because we don't have the time anymore. We've got to hit Madara before he completes another bijuu bomb to wipe us all out."

"Not to be a fly in the soup Naruto-sama, but I'm worried about regenerative powers of that Susanoo being. We underestimated the speed in which it recovers from the wounds we inflict on it. We need an attack that can wound the entire body of that beast at once. Can your Gatsuga Tensho and Cho Odama Rasengan accomplish this?"

"I'm not sure Shunsui, but what else do we have?"

"You now have us for the fight young Naruto!"

Everyone turned around and were stunned to see the former Gotei 13 Head Captain Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto standing before them in all his regal glory.

"Yamamoto-san!" Naruto exclaimed in surprise.

The former shinigami were equally surprised that the Head Captain had decided to join the fight. However they were even more shocked when Byakuya Kuchiki stepped out from behind the imposing figure of Yamamoto.

"Byakuya!" Shunsui, Yoruichi, and Zaraki shouted in greeting.

A slight nod from the ever stoic former Gotei 13 Captain of Squad 6 was the only acknowledgment he gave to his comrades.

"Byakuya-sama." Sasuke addressed the man, while bowing in respect.

"Uchiha-san, it is good to see that you are still alive. Did you manage to unlock your Bankai?"

"Hai, I was able to achieve that thanks to help of my friend Naruto and my former sensei Kakashi."

"It has been a long time hasn't it Hatake Kakashi." Yamamoto expressed to the masked shinobi.

"It's you!" Kakashi uttered in disbelief.

"What is it Kakashi-sensei, do you know Yamamoto-san?" Naruto asked in curiosity.

"I never knew his name, but many years ago about when I was your age I was severely injured on a mission. I thought I was going to die, but when I woke up this man I found that my wounds had been tended to and this man taking care of me. He saved my life and while I was recovering taught me about Kido spells, as well as Bankai. If not for him, I wouldn't have been able to save Ino or help you unlock your Bankai Sasuke."

"We can reminisce later; quickly I need all you to appraise me of the current situation, as well as a concise briefing of all of the powers and skills each of you possess. So I may form a battle plan." Yamamoto ordered with authority to everyone present.

After a few minutes of considered review of the information he gathered from everyone. Yamamoto stamped his wooden staff firmly on the ground and announced.

"Thank you all for the information you have provided me. Young Naruto, if you will allow me to take command, I have assessed the situation and formed a strategy that should allow us to defeat this Madara individual once and for all."

"Umm yeah sure Yamamoto-san, you can take charge. From what Shunsui has told me you've got more battlefield experience than all of us combined."

"That is merely a byproduct of my advanced years over all of you, but I thank you for placing your faith and confidence in my abilities. Now I must speak to this Madara and offer him the opportunity to surrender."

"Surrender! Are you nuts old man, he's an Uchiha, we never surrender!" Sasuke exclaimed in response.

"Are arrogance and impudence is an inherited trait within the Uchiha clan?"

"Pretty much Yamamoto-san." Naruto replied with a grin, while everyone else save for Sasuke seemed to nod their heads in affirmation.

"Well be that as it may, I have always offered my foes a chance to surrender, before engaging them in battle. It is the honorable thing to do." Yamamoto declared, before he flash-stepped away and appeared in front of Madara.

"Madara Uchiha, my name is Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto! I am the Head Shinigami Captain of the Gotei 13 Divisions of the Soul Society."

"Hmph, I'm supposed to believe that you're a Shinigami." Madara spat with derision.

"No, you should believe that I'm….._**The Shinigami!**_"

"Why are you here supposed shinigami?" Madara asked with contempt.

"I'm here to offer you the chance to surrender. I have assessed the situation and developed a strategic battle plan to defeat you. You have no hope of victory, so you would be wise to accept my offer, as I will only make it this one time!"

"Bah, I have no time for you old man and your delusions. I refuse your laughable offer, now be gone, as I have people to kill and a world to decimate!"

"A imprudent decision Madara, one which you will soon regret."

"You foolish old man, I may not look it, but I have over a century of battlefield experience. I highly doubt that you could devise any plan that I cannot counter, so my defeat is nothing but a whimsical fantasy on your part."

"It is not I who is foolish, but you Madara. For you may well have over a century of battlefield experience, but that is nothing compared to the 21 centuries that I retain!" Yamamoto declared, before he flash-stepped away.

Upon his return to Naruto and the others, he exhaled a heavy sigh.

"He didn't go for it did he Yamamoto-san."

"No young Naruto he did not. His pride and arrogance will be his undoing, as he will soon learn."

"So what's the plan old man Yama?" Shunsui questioned.

"All of you pay attention and listen closely, as here is what I've devised."

* * *

Madara saw all of the shinigami and Leaf shinobi suddenly appear on the battlefield. He looked about and then saw that fool of an old man a short distance behind them with some pink-haired girl who was tending to someone on the ground. He smirked with confidence, as his Susanoo defense lifted its black blade ready to strike. Madara decided he would let them make the first move. This was a mistake that he would soon regret.

"Kurenai and Byakuya you may begin the attack!" Yamamoto commanded.

Kurenai immediately went through a series of hand-signs and called out.

"**Genwaku Kahen Arashi!" **_(Blinding Petal Storm__**)**_

Instantly a swirling mass of flower petals appeared around Madara moving about and blinding him. The elder Uchiha knew this was a Genjutsu and activated his Sharingan to dispel it. However, it bought enough time for Byakuya to get into position, before he dropped his Zanpaktou straight down and said.

"**Senbonzakura Kageyoshi**." (_Vibrant Display of a Thousand Cherry Blossoms_)

"Scatter!"

The sword phased into the ground, as though it were a pool of water. Energy began to ripple and expand out, turning the surrounding area dark, and within seconds, two rows of a thousand giant blades rose up from the ground. Those thousand swords then scattered and countless flying blades began to pierce Madara's Susanoo being. Madara cursed to himself as even with his Sharingan he could not see the movements of these blades.

Byakuya controlled the movement of the blades with his mind alone; using his hands allowed him to do so more effectively, making the blades increase in speed threefold. Through this blinding speed and control of the blade fragments, it allowed Byakuya to inflict thousands of shredding wounds onto Madara's Susanoo all at once.

"Shunsui, Yoruichi, Zaraki, Yachiru, Kira, Yumachiki, Kakashi, and Sasuke….Attack!" Yamamoto called out.

"The shinigami warriors immediately incanted the same Kido spell they had used before, except for Zaraki who lifted his eye-patch away and a stream of electrical energy discharged from his eye to join with the high level lightning strikes erupting from the palms of his comrades. Meanwhile both Sasuke and Kakashi appeared next to the head of the Susanoo being and sped through some hand-signs, before calling out in unison.

"**Chidori!"**

The two Leaf shinobi thrust their electrically charged arms into the Susanoo being adding to the electrified attacks of the shinigami. Soon, the entire skeletal frame of Madara's Susanoo was electrically charged, which prevented the shredded wounds inflicted by Byakuya to heal.

Yugito, Nelliel, and Ino, wound the beast even further!" Yamamoto called out.

Yugito in her two-tailed Nibi state unleashed a vicious claw strike onto the Susanoo, while Ino unleashed a barrage of kunai with exploding notes attached to them. Finally Nelliel with her enhanced Espada strength followed up Ino's attack by punching the ground with earth-shattering force and sent a shockwave heading directly towards the Susanoo and nearly caused the immense being to topple over.

"Naruto, unleash your Bankai now!" Yamamoto quickly ordered.

Naruto pointed Zangetsu forward, as he placed one arm upon his sword, while the other held the Zanpaktou straight and true, before boldly shouting out.

"Here we go, Zangetsu….._**Getsuga Tensho!**_**"**

Naruto then swung his Zanpaktou towards the Susanoo and a crescent shaped wave of spirit particles erupted from the blade's edge and was now streaking directly at Madara. As the blue crescent of energy arced forward from point blank range, it forced Madara to bring up his Susanoo blade to block against the powerful attack. However, when the spirit particles struck, the seemed to combine with the electrical attacks of the others further electrifying his Susanoo and preventing it from healing.

"Now Naruto, unleash your ultimate Rasengan!" The Head Captain declared.

Naruto quickly went through the hand-signs, but before he finished he called out in his mind.

'_Are you ready to do this Kurama?'_

"_**I'm ready kit, just be quick about it, as maintaining the balance between your Senjutsu chakra and my own is difficult. We don't want this damn ball of energy of yours blowing up before you're able to deliver it!"**_

A moment later, Naruto activated the final hand sign and raising his arms above his head called out.

"**Cho Odama Rasengan!" **(Ultra-Big Ball Spiraling Sphere)

Instantly, a wildly spinning huge mass of chakra compressed into a high density in the form of a gigantic sphere appeared above Naruto. This swirling mass was a combination of Naruto's blue Senjutsu chakra mixed equally with the Kyuubi no Youko's red colored chakra. After a moment, Naruto thrust his arms forward and the Ultra Rasengan flew towards Madara.

"Everyone to my position at once!" Yamamoto cried out.

All the shinigami and Leaf shinobi immediately flash-stepped or shushin'd to the Head Captain's position. Who threw up the same green pyramid-shaped barrier they had used earlier only this one was of a larger scale and more powerful as well.

Madara brought his Susanoo blade up to block Naruto's Rasengan, but his eyes grew wide in horror, as it broke through the blade almost in an instant, before it struck the black skeletal frame of his Susanoo and crackled all around it. The elder Uchiha screamed in anguish, as the sphere of chakra then…..exploded.

The force of the blast was massive and the people inside of the pyramid barrier huddled close to the ground. Except for Yamamoto, who stood proud and confident watching with a keen eye as the bijuu enhanced Susanoo being began to crack and then crumble to the ground in a heap around the bijuu tree.

A few miles away, Hinata and Princess Kazahana Koyuki rushed out of a medical tent along with several other people who had heard and felt the massive explosion that shook their camp. Several miles off in the distance, a large mushroom-like plume of smoke and debris rose towards the heavens, as everyone looked on in shock and astonishment. Hinata felt some tears well in her eyes, as all she could do was silently pray that everyone was alright.

Naruto rose agonizingly from the ground where he had landed, and began to cough out some earthen debris. He had been unable to teleport to Yamamoto's position in time and had to buffer the explosion using the Kyuubi chakra-cloak as a shield. The blonde Jinchuuriki gazed around and was stunned by the destruction, as it looked as if the force of the impact had blown every tree, shrub, and rock formation within a one-mile radius away. Naruto looked to where Madara had been and smiled. It appeared that Yamamoto's plan had worked, the Susanoo defense was gone, which meant Madara was completely vulnerable to one final attack delivered by the Head Captain himself.

Yamamoto dropped the green pyramid-shaped barrier, before he brought his wooden staff forward and pointed it at Madara. Instantly, the wood began peeling off, revealing its true form of a standard katana, with a dark purple handle and a circular hand guard. This Zanpaktou's power is so great, even the strongest of Shinigami are afraid of it, even in its sealed form. The name of this blade was only spoken in whispers in the Soul Society, so it was always surprising to the shinigami when the Head Captain unleashed it as he did now.

"**Ryujin Jakka!"** (_Flowing Blade-like Flame_)

"**Taimatsu!"** (_Torch_)

Then Yamamoto with a simple wave of Ryujin Jakka created a great inferno engulfing Madara and the bijuu tree instantly. Madara screamed in agony as the fire being generated by the attack completely consumed him and the tree he had merged himself with. Yamamoto increased the intensity of the flames and soon nothing remained, but ashes of the elder Uchiha and the tree to which he was going to destroy the world with. Everyone around Yamamoto rose from the ground to see the still smoldering remains of Madara Uchiha and exhaled a sigh of relief. It was finally over and the threat to the world had been stopped yet again. It was then they noticed that Naruto was not with them and they frantically began searching for him.

"There he is!" Yoruichi shouted and pointed in the direction Naruto was limping towards them.

"Hey dobe, nice job with the Rasengan!" Sasuke yelled out to his former teammate, as he waved to him.

Naruto grinned and waved back and was about to say something when he suddenly coughed out some blood and felt a searing pain in his chest. Looking down Naruto wondered why a sword was sticking out of his chest, until he heard Kiba who was holding the hilt of the blade behind him proclaim, as he fell to the ground, with his blood quickly pooling around his body.

"Die you damn demon!"

* * *

**Author Note:** Happy Thanksgiving to those of my readers who celebrate it, I humbly present to all of you my Thanksgiving gift of a chapter update. Are sure many of you are happy to see this updated once again, as I'm sure you're probably cursing me out about the ending of it., lol. Ah well, I can't win them all. Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed the final climatic battle against Madara. It proved to be a difficult fight for me to write and try and include all the characters or at least most of them of having a part in defeating the Elder Uchiha. I also thought it would be cool to see Yamamoto leading everyone to the victory. So I do hope the battle met with everyone's approval.

I do wish to thank everyone both old and new readers who took the time to review my last chapter. You all had a lot to say about it and I'm pleased that this story has such a strong fan base with readers who actually write out well thought-out reviews. Because of that, I enjoy reading many of your reviews, so please leave lots of them, as they do help a writer get a sense of the thoughts and opinions of the fans of a story. They also can help lift the spirits of an author as well. Also, to any readers who are staff members to any C2 communities, please feel free to add my story to your community if you feel it is worthy of it. I won't mind, I swear. I'll even pinkie swear if I need to?

* * *

In 2010, my fellow author brown phantom initiated a poll asking the following question.

**Who is the best Naruto fan fiction writer on this site?**

Upon completion of that first poll I finished a very respectable 8th to which I thank all of you who voted for me on that poll very much for making that happen. Now brown phantom has decided to run a second poll asking that same question. **However, he is getting ready to end the poll at the start of the new year.** So I humbly ask if you feel I'm worthy of being one of your 10 author picks to please place a vote for me on brown phantoms second poll. I thank you in advance for your support and normally I would provide you the links to the profile pages for brown phantom for you to use. However, one of the "oh so wonderful" changes FFnet has recently made is making it more difficult to list a link anywhere even if it's a link on their own freaking site. So just do a quick search for the author, brown phantom. As I said I finished 8th on his first poll and I would be ecstatic if I could improve on that showing, **but I will need all of your help to achieve that.**

Thanks to everyone for your support of this story!

Take it easy and be good!

**_Kingkakashi_**


	34. Sad Farewells to a Leaf Shinobi

**Do I Have A Purpose Anymore?**

**Chapter 34: "Sad Farewells to a Leaf Shinobi"**

"Die you damn demon!" Kiba shouted, as he ripped the zanpaktou out of Naruto, who fell to the ground in a bloody heap.

Kiba then held his stolen zanpaktou high above his head and with a maniacal grin on his face prepared to bring the blade down and stab Naruto once more. Suddenly, Sasuke appeared behind him and shouted with vengeance, as the sound of a thousand birds crackled in the air.

"Chidori!"

Kiba spat out some blood, while Sasuke thrust his electrified hand into his back and severed the Inuzuka's spine, as he dropped the sword he had impaled Naruto with.

As this was going on Naruto found himself in his mind-scape lying in front of the Kyuubi's cell, as he weakly called out to his tenant.

"Kur-Kurama, what's happening, I feel so cold?"

_**"We're dying kit, that's what's happening."**_

"Can't, can't you heal us?"

_**"I, I wish I could, but that blade that was used on us was specifically designed to kill demons. I can't counteract and heal any wounds suffered by it. And your wound is too severe to be healed by normal means. I'm sorry kit, but this is the end for us."**_ Kyuubi answered in a sad and regretful tone of voice.

Naruto heard this tone and closed his eyes, before he stammered and declared.

"It's, it's alright Kurama; you've saved my ass plenty of times in my life. I can't really get mad or blame you for the one time you can't."

_**"It was a good ride Naruto; I might not have thought you were a worthy vessel to contain me when you were younger. But you proved me wrong as you grew up and I can't think of a finer mortal to go meet Kami with on the other side."**_

"Thanks Kurama, as far as tailed-beast demons go, you're the best one out of all of them." Naruto replied with a small smile, before he and the fox-demon drew their final breaths.

Meanwhile, back in the living world, Sasuke ripped his hand out of Kiba who fell to the ground onto his back. The Inuzuka heir tried to move, but to his panic found he was unable to move. Kiba was frozen in absolute terror, as the killing intent directed upon him by Sasuke was overwhelming, as the Uchiha ground his boot into his chest, he heard Sasuke's angered voice growl out with malevolence.

"I've severed your spine you mangy-mutt, that's why you can't move! Now I'm going to end your life!"

Sasuke reached around and grabbed his zanpaktou off his back, before raising the segmented blade above his head with both hands, fully intent to cleave Kiba in halve. However, before Sasuke could follow through with his killing blow. Kakashi suddenly appeared in front of him blocking Kiba, as he kept Sasuke at bay and commanded.

"Sasuke stop…..don't kill him!"

Sasuke glared at his former sensei, before turning his head to see the lifeless body of his only true friend lying in a pool of blood. Becoming even more enraged at this sight, Sasuke turned back to Kakashi and spat with fury at being prevented from seeking justified vengeance for Naruto.

"Why are you stopping me? Look over there, Naruto is dead and this piece of shit is the one who killed him! He deserves to fucking die, so get the fuck out of my way and let me avenge Naruto!"

"Believe me Sasuke, I would like nothing more than for you to take revenge on Kiba for what he has done, but I can't let you kill him. Lady Tsunade's orders to Kurenai and I were for everyone to return, safe and unharmed."

"I don't give a damn about the Hokage's orders; this bastard is going to die one way or another for what he did! And if you try to stop me, I'll kill you to Hatake!" Sasuke screamed in a blind rage.

Before Kakashi could respond to his student's threat, a scream ripped through the battlefield, as Ino came running up Naruto's body. She immediately dropped to her knees, before she cradled Naruto's head in her lap and frantically pleaded over and over again sobbing.

"Wake up Naruto-kun, wake up! ...You can't be dead; you're too strong and stubborn to be killed. I promised Hinata that I would bring you back to both of us. So, so quit messing around you baka and wake up! You have to wake up, you have me and Hinata and a baby on the way! We, we were all going to be so happy together, so you have to wake up Naruto-kun!"

"Ha, ha, ha, cry all you want for him to wake up, he's not going to you demon loving whore!" Kiba spat out in malicious enjoyment.

Instantly, and with Kakashi unable to stop her as he was still keeping Sasuke at bay. Ino was on top Kiba and was gouging his eye out with a kunai. Kiba's screams of agony echoed through the battlefield, before Kurenai arrived and was able to pull the blonde kunoichi off of her former student. A moment later, all of the shinigami along with Yugito, Nelliel, and Sakura supporting the injured Momo, who got her first look at Kiba and stammered.

"That, that's the man who attacked me."

Sasuke heard this and redoubled his efforts to break-away from Kakashi and inflict some pain onto the Inuzuka heir. Ino herself was still being restrained by Kurenai saw Sakura and shouted in desperation.

"Sakura do something, save Naruto-kun! You were trained by Lady Tsunade, you can do it, you can save him!"

With tears welling in her eyes at the sight of Naruto, Sakura approached and knelt down over him. The pink-haired medic's hands began to glow an ethereal green, as she activated her Shousen Jutsu, which allows a ninja to heal wounds by focusing their own chakra to their hands. The shinigami shook their heads sadly, as they watched the young girl pour more and more of her chakra into Naruto's wound trying to heal him. Being spirits of death, they could sense when a human had passed over and they knew Sakura's efforts were futile. After a few minutes, Sakura turned to face everyone and with tears now streaming down her own face said in a pain-filled voice.

"I'm, I'm sorry, there's nothing I can do, I can't save him…..Naruto-kun is dead."

"No…..that can't be true! Naru-kun promised me he wouldn't go away like Ichigo and the others! He said it was the promise of a lifetime! Naru-kun wouldn't lie to me, he can't be dead!" Nelliel shouted in grief-stricken horror, refusing to believe that Naruto was gone.

"I'm, I'm sorry Nel, I'm sure he didn't want to break his promise to you, but, but Naruto-kun is gone." Sakura stammered in sympathy, as the pain the green-haired was feeling she was going through the same pain as well.

Nelliel just stood rooted to the spot, her entire body shaking, as everyone stared at her. Suddenly, Nel's Arrancar powers erupted and violently whipped around her entire body. The power emanating from her was staggering, as everyone around her looked on with trepidation and prepared themselves to try and subdue the young woman. However, before they could act Nel raised her arm and let loose a blood-curdling scream of anguish, as a massive bolt of reatsu discharged from her hand and shot skyward before it exploded. It was then that the remaining energy surrounding Nel's body began to disappear and she began to transform back into her child-like form and collapsed onto the ground.

"Nel-chan!" Ino shouted in concern, as she broke away from Kurenai and rushed over to the unconscious little girl.

"What the hell was that?" Ino openly asked, as she knelt down and cradled the young girl in her arms.

"It appears that Nelliel in a moment of unbridled pain and grief over Naruto's death her Arrancar power exploded from within her. We were most fortunate that she directed the blast up and away from us." Yamamoto offered in explanation.

A sad pall of silence enveloped the battlefield like a shroud punctuated only by the sobs of many of the people there, as everyone attempted to come to grips with Naruto's death. The blonde shinobi had touched all of their lives in significant ways. Even in the short time the shinigami had known him, they had felt a kinship with Naruto and his passing had affected them to degrees they hadn't realized. Finally, it was Yamamoto who broke the oppressive mood surrounding them when he declared.

"I know it is of small solace to everyone, but Naruto's spirit should appear before us soon and we will perform the ritual of Konso for him."

"What is this Konso ritual?"

"Konso or Soul Burial is the process by which a shinigami sends wandering spirits in the Human World to Soul Society, if they are good in life or Hell if their life was full of evil acts. Konso is performed by using the hilt of the shinigami's Zanpakuto, tapping the soul on their forehead and transporting them to the afterlife young Uchiha."

"Will, will we be able to see Naruto-kun when he appears?" Ino stammered through her tears.

"I'm sorry Ino, but only a shinigami can perceive and see a wandering spirit."

Ino became even more saddened upon hearing Yamamoto's reply, before the elder shinigami added.

"However, we do not need to immediately send Naruto's spirit to the Soul Society, so all of you can say your final words and goodbye's to him and we will relay his responses back to you."

Meanwhile, Sakura heard all the conversations going on, but could only stare at Naruto's lifeless face, as tears streamed down her own. She couldn't believe that Kami was so cruel as to take Naruto away, not when she had finally recognized and admitted to herself he was the one she truly loved. As the pink-haired kunoichi looked around at all of the sorrow-filled and dejected faces of the people around her. She realized how many others loved and cared for Naruto and were feeling the same kind of pain she was experiencing over his passing. Suddenly, an epiphany struck Sakura like a lightning bolt and she knew without question what she had to do and said.

"Kakashi-sensei, why don't you and the others go somewhere else to wait for Naruto-kun's spirit to appear, while I close up and clean the wounds on his body. I think it will be easier for all of you to not have to see me do that and get him ready for transport."

"Are you up to it Sakura?"

"Y-yes, I don't want to return Naruto-kun to the Leaf village looking like this."

"What about Kiba?" Sasuke angrily asked.

"I've already run a medical scan on him and the wound you inflicted on him Sasuke is a mortal wound. I can't save him and he should bleed out shortly. I'll take care of the bastard after he passes on and get him ready for transport as well."

As Sakura watched everyone she knew move off with the shinigami to wait for Naruto's spirit to arrive, she gave a small sad smile, as she would miss all of them. Exhaling a sigh, Sakura reached down to stroke Naruto's cheek and move a strand of his blonde hair out of his eyes. He looked so beautiful she thought to herself and silently admitted with regret to herself.

'_Oh Naruto-kun, I've made so many mistakes in my life with regards to you and caused you so much pain. I'm such a stupid fool for throwing away the best thing that ever happened to me in my life. I came here to try and atone for the sins I've committed against you and pray to Kami that you would find it in your heart to forgive me. Would you have forgiven me, could you have forgiven me? I couldn't very well blame you if you didn't. If I'm honest with myself, I know I'm not deserving of your forgiveness. All I truly deserve from you is your hatred.' _

Sakura then leaned down and placed a loving kiss onto Naruto's forehead, before she softly whispered.

"I know you can't hear me, but I just wanted say that what I'm about to do isn't about me seeking your forgiveness. Like I said I don't deserve it. But you mean too much to too many people Naruto-kun, more than I ever will. So I do this to bring you back to them…...not for me."

Sakura then placed her hands onto Naruto's chest and she softly said.

"**Kishou Tensi no jutsu."** (One's Life Resurrection technique)

Sakura then began to release her chakra into Naruto, as her hands began to glow a pale-blue color, while she channeled all of her life essence into him. As Sakura was pouring her life force into Naruto, a small smile spread across her face, as she felt no regret in doing this, but peace and contentment. Nearby, Kiba regained consciousness and craned his head to see what Sakura doing. Suddenly, he noticed Naruto's chest slowly began to rhythmically rise and fall and the mortally wounded Inuzuka heir shouted with fury.

"Sakura you bitch, what are you doing?"

Kiba's shout had alerted everyone and they turned to see what Sakura was doing. After a few seconds, it was Kakashi who realized what jutsu his former student was performing and cried out in a panic.

"WE HAVE TO STOP HER!"

The silver-haired Jounin immediately shushin'd over to where Sakura was, but he was too late when he saw her slump over Naruto's body. He immediately lifted her off of Naruto and checked her pulse, before he cradled the young girl against his chest and began to softly weep. As everyone came running up, they saw Kakashi tears and were confused about what was going on. Suddenly, Naruto body convulsed once startling everyone, before his eyes fluttered open and a moment later, he abruptly bolted upright and gasped for air.

"Naruto you're alive!" Several people shouted in shock and disbelief.

"Umm…yeah, I guess I am,….. what happened?"

"That worthless mutt Kiba stabbed you from behind and killed you dobe." Sauke answered, as he helped Naruto to his feet.

Both of them turned to gaze at Kiba who glared at both of them, before using his last remaining strength spat with bile and rage.

"Damn you both, I'll see you in Hell!"

"You first dog-boy!" Sasuke spat in insult, as they watched Kiba take his final breath.

It was then that Sasuke's words finally registered in Naruto's head and he exclaimed in confusion.

"Wait…..what do you mean I was dead teme?"

However, before Naruto could get an answer, he was suddenly gang tackled by Nelliel, Ino, and Yugito. All three of them crying tears of joy of Naruto being alive, as they hugged, kissed, and berated the blonde jinchuuriki.

"You baka, if you ever pull something like that again I'll never forgive you and neither will Hinata!" Ino exclaimed in-between her kisses.

"Don't you ever thcare me like that again Papa-Naru, you almost broke your promith to me!" Nel cried in admonishment of her adoptive father.

"I can't believe you're alive!" Yugito declared in happiness.

'_Did I really die?'_ Naruto thought to himself.

"_**It's true kit, you died, in fact we both died when that wretched mutt on the ground impaled us from behind with a zanpaktou." **_Kurama's voice echoed in his mind.

"I thought that was some sort of weird dream Kurama, you mean that really happened?"

_**"It happened, we died, but I have no idea how we are now alive again."**_

After Naruto got the three ladies currently glomming him calmed down, he turned to Sasuke who had been watching Naruto with amusement and asked.

"Sasuke, if I died, than how am I still alive?" Naruto questioned in puzzlement.

Sasuke's head dropped in sadness upon hearing Naruto's question, before he lifted it slightly and turned to gaze towards Sakura. Naruto followed his friend's gaze until it fell upon his former sensei still cradling Sakura to his chest. Naruto's eyes grew wide in shock and he rushed over to them.

"Kakashi-sensei, what's wrong with Sakura-chan? Why are you crying?"

"I'm, I'm sorry Naruto." Kakashi replied, as he wiped the tears out of his lone visible eye, before adding.

"I'm sorry, but Sakura is gone, she, she's dead."

"D-dead, she can't be dead…h-how?"

"She used the Kishou Tensi jutsu to revive you."

A visage of horror spread across Naruto's face, as he stammered.

"You, you mean the jutsu old lady Chiyo used on Gaara!"

"Yes, that jutsu.

Naruto knelt down and took Sakura hand, while his head dropped low in grief.

"Kakashi, what is this Kishou Tensi jutsu?"

"Kishou Tensi jutsu is a secret forbidden Kinjutsu developed by Lady Chiyo of Suna Kurenai. It's a technique that requires its user to transfer their life in exchange for one who is already dead.

A collective gasp was released by all of the Leaf shinobi present, before Ino hesitantly asked.

"You, you mean forehe…I mean Sakura gave her li….."

"Yes, when someone uses this technique the user will find certain death in exchange for the soul of the deceased. In essence, Sakura willingly gave her entire life force to Naruto, so that he could live once again."

"I-I don't understand, I thought old lady Chiyo was the only one who knew how to use that jutsu?" Naruto openly asked in a choked voice.

"Sakura was always a smart girl, too smart for her own damn good. I can only guess she learned how to use the jutsu by observing Lady Chiyo utilize it on Gaara." Kakashi answered in a sad and bitter voice.

It was at that moment Sakura's spirit appeared on the battlefield, she looked around a moment, before she noticed a strange chain protruding from her chest. She gazed with confusion, as she followed the direction of the links, before abruptly she saw that the chain was severed. When Sakura looked up she saw the direction the chain was coming from led to the sight of all of her friends and the Shinigami standing around something. Sakura began to walk forward to see what they were staring at, when her breath hitched in her throat, as she saw her body being held by Kakashi with Naruto holding her hand. As she got closer, she noticed many people were weeping and Sakura called out.

"Hey everyone, I'm over here!"

"They can't hear or see you young lady." A voice said behind her startling the pink-haired kunoichi.

Whirling around, Sakura found herself facing the shinigami commander Yamamoto, before she stammered in query.

"Wh-what do you mean they can't hear me or see me, you can hear and see me?"

"Your friends and comrades of the human world can't see you or hear you, because you no longer reside in that realm."

"I, I don't understand what you mean?"

"I mean Sakura is that you died in the human world and have now passed on into the spirit realm and only a shinigami can see and hear you now. I know this comes as a shock to you and everything seems a bit confusing, but your most recent memory should return shortly."

As if on cue, Sakura started to remember…..everything and of the choice she made to save Naruto.

"I understand now Yamamoto-san, but what is this strange chain attached to me?"

"That is what we call the Chain of Fate and it connects the soul to its living body. When this chain is severed such as yours, the soul can no longer return to its body and live."

"So what happens now?"

Well, you can move about freely if the chain is broken, but this also causes the chain to slowly corrode. So a shinigami needs to perform the ritual called Konso to send you to the Soul Society, before this corrosion becomes significant."

"What happens if the corrosion becomes significant?"

"If the Chain of Fate is corroded entirely, you will become a Hollow." Yamamoto ominously answered.

"What's a Hollow?"

"A Hollow is a creature born from a human soul, who for various reasons, did not cross over to Soul Society after their death and stayed in the human world for too long. They are corrupt spirits with supernatural powers, which become devourer of souls from both living and deceased humans."

"But why do they turn into such creatures?"

Yamamoto exhaled a sigh, before he grimly replied.

"The majority of souls peacefully move onto the Soul Society after their deaths. However, some stay in the living world to fulfill certain goals, such as looking after a loved one, protecting a particular location, or pursuing a grudge from beyond the grave. However, with only limited abilities to interact with the living, and by definition tied to their goals, many souls find they are unable to cope when their loved ones move on or old enemies forget them. At this point, some will become dangerously obsessed with fulfilling those goals, even if the means to fulfill them renders the soul empty: for example, killing anyone who comes near a loved one in order to keep them from hurting that person. In doing so, the soul warps into a Hollow and ironically, often makes the focus of their obsession into their first victim."

"And the only way to prevent this from happening is for a shinigami to perform this Konso ritual?"

"Yes, if a shinigami gives the soul a soul burial it will not turn into a Hollow, but instead be sent to the Soul Society to dwell until they are reincarnated into the Human World."

Sakura pondered intently about what Yamamoto had just explained to her, before she finally turned her head towards the imposing shinigami and declared.

"I don't want to turn into one of these Hollow monsters. And it's possible I could lose my heart to despair or regret at watching Naruto-kun move on and forget about me. He was starting to do that when I was alive, not that I blame him for it. So it's best for me to move on."

Sakura then took a deep breath, before she nervously stammered.

"Com-Commander Yamamoto, would you do me the honor of performing this Konso ritual on me?"

"The honor would not be yours but mine young Sakura. You made the ultimate and most honorable act one can make in sacrificing yourself to save another. So it is I who is honored that you would request me to perform your Soul Burial. However before I do, I think your comrades wish to say goodbye to you."

"I'm not sure I could face them…..especially Naruto-kun. I love him, but I don't know what to say to him after learning just how badly I've hurt him the past few years."

"Well if you love him as you say, then do not cause him anymore pain by denying him the chance to say goodbye to you."

Sakura took a moment, before she nodded her head in understanding, as she and Yamamoto began walking towards the others.

* * *

As everyone stood around Naruto, Kakashi, and Sakura, it was Yoruichi who noticed Yamamoto approaching them and announced.

"Hey it's the old man and he's brought Sakura's spirit with him."

This got all of the Leaf shinobi's immediate attention, before Ino commented.

"What are you talking about, I don't see Sakura anywhere?"

"Remember what we told you earlier, only a shinigami can see and hear someone who has died in the human world and have now passed on into the spirit realm, as Sakura has. You might not be able to see her, but I assure you she is here."

"Correct Shunsui and before I perform the Konso ritual on Sakura, as I was going to do with Naruto's spirit. All of you have a chance to say your final words and goodbye's to her in private and we will relay her responses back to you. Momo Hinamori, would you do the honors of the translation and voice for Sakura."

"Hai, Commander Yamamoto." Momo replied, while bowing her head in respect to the shinigami commander.

The young shinigami then turned her attention to the Leaf shinobi and asked.

"Which of you would like to go first to speak to Sakura-san?"

Everyone began to look around at one another, before Kurenai stepped forward and she and Momo walked a short distance away. Upon arriving at a safe distance from any earshot, the Genjutsu Mistress hesitantly asked.

"What, what do I do?"

"Just speak Lady Kurenai, Sakura can hear you she just won't be able to respond to you with her own voice, as I will speak for her.

"Sakura, you and I were never close and I feel regret for that. However, I just wanted to say that I'm proud of you for saving Naruto's life. The sacrifice you made honors you both as a kunoichi and a woman. Too often praise is always given to a man who has made the same sacrifice, while women who make it are forgotten about. I swear I will not let that happen with you Sakura." Kurenai declared, before bowing in respect.

"Thank you Kurenai-sensei. I too regret that we never became close during my life, as I always admired and respected you. You always upheld and maintained the finest qualities of being not only a kunoichi, but also a woman of impeccable reputation. I can see why Hinata also holds those very traits with you as her teacher and friend how could she not. Thank you for your kind words Kurenai-sensei."

As Kurenai walked away to let someone else speak, it was Yugito who stepped forward surprising many people including Sakura, as the Kumo kunoichi approached and spoke.

"Sakura-san, you and I don't know one another, but I still felt I needed to thank you for saving Naruto-kun. He has become….important to me and the thought of losing him is just…just…..thank you Sakura-san."

"You care a great deal for Naruto-kun don't you." Momo said repeating Sakura's words.

"I, I do care for him, but I'm confused about my feelings. I don't understand how someone in such a short amount of time can become such an important and integral person in my life. Especially after I vowed to myself not to let that happen after what I've suffered the past several years."

"I understand your confusion Yugito-san, I too suffered from it, but for different reasons. All I can say is don't doubt your feelings for Naruto. He has that special ability even when we were kids that people are drawn to him. And if Naruto-kun expresses his feelings for you...accept them, you won't regret it. His feelings are always true and if you're lucky enough to gain his love, I promise you it's genuine."

"Th-thank you Sakura-san." Yugito said with a bow of respect, before returning to the others, passing Ino on her way.

* * *

As Ino approached Momo, she wrung her hands nervously, as she wasn't sure what she wanted to say to Sakura, but knew something had to be said between the two former best friends.

"H-hey Sakura." Ino sheepishly offered in greeting.

"H-hey Ino." Sakura stammered in reply, as she was just as nervous as the blonde kunoichi.

Ino and Momo stood across from one another in uncomfortable silence for a couple of minutes, before Ino finally broke down and said.

"Damn you Sakura! Why did you have to go and do something like this for? Just when I finally think I've got how I feel about you settled. You go and do something so unbelievably selfless and noble that now I'm all screwed up about how I feel about you again."

"I'm sorry about that, but don't let this one act affect you so much. I know you love Naruto-kun, so just think of all of the pain and heartache I've caused him in his life, then you can go back to hating me...I deserve it."

Another minute of uneasy silence went by, before Ino declared.

"I never hated you, I was just so angry with you, but I didn't hate you. How could I? I would be a total hypocrite if I hated you for hurting Naruto-kun. I hurt him badly as well or did you forget about that."

"I remember. Kami what a couple of stupid and foolish girls we ended up being. First we fight over Sasuke when we were younger and it costs us our friendship. And what's so sad is the boy we should have been fighting over was there all along, but we were just too blind to see him."

"Hinata wasn't too blind back then." Ino pointed out.

"No she wasn't. It's funny that the shy girl who always stayed quiet and in the background ended up being the smartest and the best out of all the girls back then."

"I'll let her know you said that."

"I'd like that and if you could please let her know that I'm happy Kami is giving her a second chance with Naruto-kun. I know Hinata has always truly loved him and he deserves to have someone like that in his life."

"She deserves it too after the life she has had to endure. First from her clan and then from that bastard Kiba!"

"What about you Ino has Naruto-kun forgiven you?"

"Hai he did, I don't why considering how badly I hurt him, but he did. So he, Hinata and I are going to give it a try to make it work."

"All three of you...together, how did that happen?" Sakura exclaimed in surprise, which Momo conveyed to Ino.

"It's, it's complicated and it probably won't be easy for us, but were still going to try."

"I wish you good luck and I guess congratulations on Kami giving you a second chance with Naruto-kun as well. I have to say I'm envious at the second chances Kami blessed you and Hinata with. I wish I could have gotten one, but I understand why I didn't. My sins against him were much too severe and too numerous."

"Don't say that, I'm sure Naruto-kun would have forgiven you in time as well."

"Perhaps, but I know even if he did, I don't deserve it."

"Is that why you did what you did? Were you looking for some sort of penance or redemption?"

"No! I did what I did because it was the only way to save Naruto-kun. He's too important to too many people and the world needs a living Naruto more than it needs a living Sakura in it!"

"The world needs both of you Sakura!" Ino snapped with frustration, as tears began to roll down her cheeks.

"Thank you for saying that, believe me I wish there was another way I could have saved Naruto-kun without forfeiting my own life, but there wasn't. So I chose the only option I had to save him and I'm ok with it."

"Well the rest of us aren't ok with it and I'm positive Naruto-kun isn't going to be ok with it either."

"I'm sorry Ino, but what's done is done and I don't regret my decision at all if it means Naruto-kun continues to live."

Ino brought her hand up to wipe away the tears in eyes, before she said with sincerity.

"Th-thank you for saving him, I just wish there could have been another way."

"I know, but at least we got a chance to say goodbye to one another. You were a great friend to me Ino in my life, the best I could have ever hoped for. I'm sorry I stupidly threw that friendship away over a boy I thought loved."

"I'm sorry too Sakura, maybe if I had fought harder for that friendship and not let my rivalry with you for that same boy cloud my judgment we could have..." Ino replied, as she struggled to find the right words, before Sakura said.

"I know what you're trying to say and it's alright, I feel the same way. Goodbye Ino and take care of yourself and live a long and happy life."

"Goodbye Sakura, you take care as well and I'll see on the other side one day."

"I look forward to it. Oh, and one more thing. Don't blow this second chance with Naruto-kun. Because if you do and I find out you've hurt him again. I'm going to come back and haunt your ass to your dying day pig! You got that?"

Ino cracked a small smile, before she replied.

"Yeah I got it billow-board brow. Don't worry, I'm not going to blow it again, I promise."

* * *

Ino gave a small sad wave towards Momo, before she walked back to where her friends and comrades were waiting. When she arrived it was quite evident to those who knew her that Ino had been crying. This surprised many of them considering the animosity she and Sakura had exhibited towards one another the past few years. However, upon reflection it was good that the two former best friends left on amicable terms. Kakashi and Sasuke looked at one another to see who wanted to go next to say goodbye to Sakura. It was obvious to the silver-haired Jounin that his former student was not quite ready yet to speak to Sakura. He put his hand on Sasuke's shoulder and patted it, before he strode over to where Momo was waiting.

"So you say Sakura's spirit is right here?" Kakashi asked in query to Momo.

"Yes, I promise you, she is standing right next to me."

"But I won't be able to touch her."

"That's correct."

"That's disappointing."

"Why do you want to be able to touch me Kakashi-sensei?" Momo asked, speaking for Sakura.

"Because I'd like to put you over my knee and spank the living hell out you for pulling such an irresponsible stunt as this!" Kakashi angrily replied.

"You don't mean that."

"The hell I don't!"

I'm sorry Kakashi-sensei, but you wouldn't spank me for two reasons. One, I'm much too old to be spanked and if you tried I'd bring you up sexual assault charges with Lady Tsunade."

"They wouldn't stick, not when Lady Tsunade learned of the reason behind it. She will probably want to tan your hide as well because of what you have done."

"Perhaps, but that brings me to my second reason why you wouldn't spank me."

"And what's that Sakura?"

"Those who break the rules are trash, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash."

"Damn it!" Kakashi cursed under his breath at having his own words used against him.

"Kakashi-sensei, I know you're hurting over what I did, but I didn't have any other choice, if Naruto-kun was to live again."

"There should have been another way."

"I also wish there was another way I could have saved Naruto-kun without forfeiting my own life, but there wasn't. And like I told Ino, I chose the only option I had to save him and I'm ok with it sensei."

"Sensei, why do you even bother to call me that Sakura? I was a terrible teacher to both you and Naruto growing up."

"You were a great teacher."

"Stop lying Sakura! I was the worst teacher, because I favored Sasuke out of some blind rationalization that I needed to to honor my late teammate Obito. And in doing so I neglected both you and Naruto and that is unforgivable to me."

"I forgive you Kakashi-sensei, can you forgive me?"

"I don't deserve your forgiveness, but thank you. And yes I do forgive you, how can I not? The sacrifice you made today is the same Obito made for me many years ago. However, while I may forgive you, I'm not sure Naruto is going to?"

"I know, but perhaps that's what I deserve. I've committed a lot of sins against Naruto-kun in my life, too many for him to forgive me for. But if Kami deems it necessary for me to leave this world without his forgiveness, then that's how it will be and I understand."

After a minute of soulful silence between the silver-haired Jounin and his former kunoichi pupil, Kakashi spoke up and said.

"I guess there's really nothing left to say other than goodbye Sakura. Please know that I will miss you for the rest of my life."

"Goodbye Kakashi-sensei and thank you. I will miss you as well and pray that one day Kami will grant us the good fortune of seeing each other again in the afterlife."

"I shall hope and pray for that as well." Kakashi replied with sincerity, before he turned away to walk back to where his fellow Leaf shinobi waited for his return.

* * *

When Kakashi arrived Kurenai slipped her hand into his own to give comfort to him, while he nodded his head to Sasuke. The Uchiha inhaled and exhaled a deep breath, before he marched towards Momo. Upon reaching the young shinigami, he flashed a pleasant smile, which caused Momo to blush a bit.

"Is Sakura here Momo?"

"Hai Sasuke, she is standing here next to me." Momo indicated to her right.

Sasuke stared at the empty air, before he finally said.

"Hello Sakura."

"He-hello Sasuke-kun."

"Hmph, you still call me Sasuke-kun, even after we broke up." Sasuke stated in a mirthless chuckle.

"I guess old habits die hard Sasuke-ku…Sasuke."

An uneasy silence enveloped the former betrothed couple, as both Sasuke and Sakura struggled to find the words they wanted to say. It was Sasuke who found his voice first and asked.

"I just want to know one thing Sakura…..why?"

"I don't understand, why what?"

"Why did you start up a relationship with me five years ago, when you knew I wasn't the one you truly loved? From everything I've learned you were happy with Naruto before I returned. Why would you throw that away, especially when you knew how much he loved you?"

Sakura exhaled a regretful sigh, before she spoke with sadness.

"I wish I had an acceptable answer to give you, but I don't. I was a fool to throw away what I had with Naruto-kun when you returned, but at the time I really thought you were the one that I loved Sasuke."

"I don't understand Sakura, were you not happy with Naruto?"

"I was happy, I just didn't realize how much at the time. You have understand Sasuke, since I was young I always believed that you were the one that I loved. And when you left, I was devastated for such a long time."

"I'm sorry you were so hurt by me leaving, but honestly you shouldn't have been. I never returned any of your affections back then. I would have thought me knocking you out and leaving you on that bench would have finally gotten that point across."

"It should have, but it didn't. That's how strong my love or what I thought was love I held for you was."

"What about Naruto?"

"Back then, I always thought that Naruto's love for me was superficial. He never denied his feelings for me and because Naruto always proudly proclaimed his love of me so openly and without reservation, I believed he couldn't be serious."

"Then why did you start a relationship with him if you felt that way?"

"Well our friendship did grow stronger when he returned from his training and with both of you being gone I had grown….lonely."

"So you started dating the dobe for three years out of loneliness, even though you still felt that I was the one you were in love with. That's pretty messed up Sakura to do that to him."

"I already know that Sasuke! At the time it wasn't my intention to date Naruto for that long. As I said I thought his feelings for me was just a crush that he would grow out of after a while. He would see after a few weeks of going out that I wasn't the one for him. However, we got along so well that a few weeks became a few months and in the blink of an eye three years had gone by and then you…...returned."

"That doesn't explain why you would instantly dump Naruto someone you admit you were happy with for me?"

"There is no rational explanation for me doing that. During that week you were in the hospital after Naruto had brought you back, I could tell you had changed. The way you spoke and acted around me was different than how you used to treat me before you left. You were so nice and caring and open, everything I had always envisioned you to be. So that day in the hospital room, when you asked me to become you're girlfriend, it was my dream coming true that I had held onto for so long. That's why I lied to you about my relationship with Naruto. My lifelong fantasy of a life with you had become real and I truly believed you were the one I loved. That was my justification for lying to you, but that justification I had created was false and it's only result was me lying to myself all this time."

A pall of silence fell upon the two former teammates, before Sakura asked a heartfelt question.

"Can I ask you a question Sasuke and please be honest with me."

"What's the question?"

"While we were together, were you happy?"

Sasuke stiffened a bit and his brow creased in thought, as he contemplated how to answer Sakura's question, before he finally said.

"Honestly, it's been such a long time since I last experienced happy, I'm not sure what happy is anymore. But I was…..content when I was with you Sakura."

"I thought so, because eventually as are relationship moved forward, that's also how I began to feel as well. And when I finally realized that, I knew a romantic relationship should be based on love and happiness, not contentment with another. I also finally admitted to myself that the last time I felt truly happy was when I was with Naruto-kun."

"Can I ask you a question Sakura and please be honest with me."

"Hai Sasuke."

"Why was it that Naruto made you happy, where I couldn't?"

"I didn't realize it at the time when I was with Naruto-kun, but the love and affection he showered upon me not only brought me joy, but also gave me a sense of safety and self-confidence in myself. Knowing that no matter how many I got knocked down in some way in my life. Naruto-kun would always be there to put me on a pedestal and lift my spirits. Sadly, by the time I had realized how important Naruto-kun was to me and held such a deep and tender spot in my heart, I had already lost him."

"Well thanks for being honest with me Sakura; I think I understand you a lot better now and why you did what you did."

"Sasuke please don't misunderstand or think that I hold no love for you in my heart, because I do."

"It's just a different kind of love than what you feel for the dobe." Sasuke stoically commented.

"Yes." Sakura solemnly answered, before she added.

"Sasuke, I'm sorry for any pain I caused you, but please promise me something. Don't give up on finding true love and happiness with someone. I know there is someone special out there who you can love and be happy with and who in return will love you the same way I feel for Naruto-kun."

"I've been considering what you just said already." Sasuke remarked, as his eyes glanced momentarily towards Momo, before he then declared.

"I promise you Sakura, I won't give up."

"Thank you Sasuke and even though were no longer together, I will miss you."

"I'll miss you too and perhaps one day Kami will be kind and allow us to reunite once more." Sasuke replied with sincerity, before he turned to go get the last and most important person Sakura needed to say her final goodbye to.

* * *

When Naruto saw Sasuke walking back, he strode forward with a determined look upon his face. As he met Sasuke midway, the Uchiha stopped him and said.

"Naruto, I'm not going to tell you how you should feel about Sakura and you can tell me to go to hell if you want. All I want to say is Sakura has changed; she's no longer the same girl who hurt you so badly five years ago."

Sasuke then resumed his trek back to the others, while Naruto resumed walking towards Momo. When he arrived he exhaled a deep breath and waited. After a moment, Sakura tentatively said, which Momo conveyed.

"H-hi Naruto-ku…..Naruto."

However, Sakura did not receive a greeting, but rather a harsh question voiced by Naruto in a choked voice.

"Damn you Sakura, why did you do this?"

"I'm, I'm sorry."

"I don't want your damn apologies, answer my question! Why did you use that forbidden jutsu and sacrifice your life to save me? I didn't ask you to do that and I never wanted it!"

"I, I used that jutsu, because it was the only way I could save your life."

"That still doesn't answer why?"

"I did it because you're too important to too many people and the world."

"I'm not so important at the cost of your own life!"

"Yes you are."

"Damn it, no I'm not!"

"Damn it, yes you are! You may not realize it, but you've always had a unique ability to touch people's hearts and minds. The lives you touch after meeting you always makes that person want to strive to achieve great things. You inspire them to change for the better. That's a special gift and you have many more lives to bestow it upon in your life. And the truth is the world needs a living Naruto, more than it needs a living Sakura in it."

Naruto was stunned by this response and didn't know how to respond. After a few seconds, he remarked in frustration.

"You're important to Sakura-chan."

Sakura's heart fluttered a bit, when she heard Naruto address her with the affectionate suffix 'chan' attached to her name that she hadn't heard from him in a long time, before she commented.

"Thank you for thinking that of me Naruto-kun, but in the grand scheme of things I'm not as important or needed as you are to live."

"That wasn't your decision to make! I don't want your life sacrificed for me!" Naruto shouted, infuriated by Sakura's reply.

"Maybe it wasn't my decision to make, but I did and I don't regret it at all."

"Why?"

"Be-because I love you." Sakura softly declared.

"Wh-what did you say?" Naruto stammered in shock.

"I said I love you Naruto-kun. I know that's hard for you to believe considering how badly I hurt you and I wouldn't blame you for doubting what I say. But I swear to Kami I'm telling you the truth. I love you and have for a long time. I was just too stupid to admit it to myself and because it, I ended up losing the greatest thing I ever had in my life."

A pall of eerie silence fell upon them and Sakura waited nervously for Naruto's response. After a minute, the blonde shinobi finally did and sadly asked the question Sakura dreaded.

"If you love me, then why did you leave me for Sasuke?"

"Naruto-kun, I can't give you a rational or logical explanation of why I did that. If I could go back in time to stop myself from doing it I would. Not only because it cost me the greatest guy in the world and a chance to be truly happy, but also because of how much I hurt you, which you never deserved. Looking back on it now, all I can say is I spent so much of life focusing on having a life with Sasuke, that I didn't see what I already had. And when he came back and asked me to be his girlfriend, I lost all sense, because everything I had hoped and dreamed about what I wanted in my life with someone I loved, I already had with you. The sad truth is I let my childish fantasy that I had about Sasuke convince me that he was the one I truly loved. And because of that, I ended up losing the one person who was the most important to me and that I did truly love in you Naruto-kun."

Naruto stood silent and unmoving, as he pondered what Sakura had just said, before she added with regret and remorse.

"I know it probably means little to you now and it seems hollow even to me, but I don't know what else I can say, but I'm sorry Naruto-kun. I deeply regret and never meant to hurt you the way I did. I don't blame you if you've hated me since then, because truthfully, I've hated myself for doing what I did to you. I won't ask for your forgiveness, I know I don't deserve it. All I can do is pray to Kami that perhaps one day when you think of me, if you think of me, your thoughts will be of the good times we shared and not the pain I caused you Naruto-kun."

"I forgive you Sakura-chan." Naruto softly said.

"Wh-what did you say?" Sakura stammered, as she fell to her knees.

"I said I forgive you."

"Wh-why? How can say such a thing after how much I've hurt you?" Sakura asked in utter disbelief and confusion with tears welling in her eyes.

"I forgive you because a small part of me will always love you Sakura-chan. You were the first girl to acknowledge me and treat me with kindness and friendship. Granted, that changed when Sasuke entered the picture, before and sadly after he returned. But I still have some fond memories of us when we were little kids and then when we were together, so I thank you for those."

"You foolish baka, how can you be so kind to forgive me? I don't deserve it at all!" Sakura exclaimed in guilty frustration, still on her knees and wrapping her arms around herself, as tears fell down her face.

"Maybe, but that's not your decision to make, but mine and I don't regret it at all." Naruto replied, mimicking Sakura's own words about the decision she made to save his life at the cost of her own.

After a couple minutes of crying over Naruto's benevolence and compassion he was giving her. Sakura finally began to calm down and wiping the tears from her eyes looked up at Naruto.

"Th-thank you for the kindness you've shown me." Sakura tenderly said, before she hesitantly asked with as much hope, as she could pray to Kami for.

"Naruto-kun, I know you don't feel this way anymore, but do you think there might come a day where you can love me once more, as you did when we were together?"

"If Kami is benevolent enough to reunite you and I in his kingdom, I believe that day could perhaps come."

"I pray that it will Naruto-kun and know that I will wait for that day and for you for all of eternity if I have too." Sakura declared with love and sincerity.

"Thank you for saving my life Sakura-chan, I wish you hadn't made the sacrifice you did, but there's nothing I can do to change it can I?"

"What's done is done; all that is left is for Yamamoto-sama to perform this Konso ritual to send my soul to the afterlife."

"_**Kit, before you say your final goodbye, would you please convey to the young woman my thanks and gratitude for her sacrifice, as it not only saved your life, but mine as well."**_ Kuruma expressed to his container.

"I didn't think you liked Sakura-chan Kurama."

"To be honest, I never have considering the pain she has caused you kit, but it would be dishonorable of me not to communicate my gratitude for what she did."

"Sakura-chan, Kurama also wants to thank you for saving his life as well."

"Kurama, who is Kurama?"

"That's the true name of the Kyuubi no Youko."

"Is that a good thing that I saved the nine-tailed demon fox?" Sakura questioned in curiosity.

"_**Grrrrrrrrrr…." **_ Kurama growled inside Naruto's mind.

"Yeah, it's a good thing, I promise." Naruto chuckled in response, before the realization that he was about to bid farewell to Sakura hit him hard, as he stated in a pained voice.

"I don't want to say goodbye to you."

"I don't want to say goodbye to you either, so why don't we just say until we meet again." Sakura remarked in an equally pained tone of voice.

"O-Ok,…until we meet again Sakura-chan."

With nothing left to say, Naruto, Momo, and Sakura made their way back towards all of their comrades.

* * *

When Naruto and Momo arrived with Sakura in tow, the blonde shinobi knelt down and lifted Nel into his arms and hugged the young girl tightly. Both Ino and Yugito wrapped their arms around Naruto to comfort and support him, as Yamamoto announced.

"Per Sakura's request, I will now perform the Konso ritual, which will free Sakura's spirit from this realm and send her to the Soul Society."

Yamamoto then took a knee, but still being the imposing figure he is could still look Sakura in the eyes, as he instructed the young kunoichi.

"Sakura, when you arrive at the Soul Society, I want you to seek out a shinigami by the name of Retsu Unohana. She is the Soul Society's most skilled healer and I believe you could learn much from her. Tell Captain Unohana it is my recommendation that she train you and induct you into the Fourth Division of the Gotei 13."

"I shall seek her out Yamamoto-sama, but will she believe me?"

"She will if you say one word, which only she and I know about." Yamamoto answered, before he leaned in and whispered in Sakura's ear.

"Kenpachi"

Sakura nodded her head in understanding, before she closed her eyes and waited for the Head Captain to administer the Konso ritual. Yamamoto stood up and stepped back, before he brought his wooden staff forward and pointed it at Sakura. Instantly, the wood began peeling off, revealing its true form of a standard katana. The Gotei 13 Commander then brought the hilt of his Zanpakuto forward and tapped the soul on Sakura's forehead. There was a small flash of light and everyone including the Konoha shinobi caught a brief flash of Sakura's image, before she was transported into the afterlife and the Soul Society.

A sad pall of mournful silence enveloped everyone, punctuated by only the brief sob of one of Sakura's comrades. After a few minutes, it was Shunsui who cleared his throat and declared with conviction.

"It is always a sad day when a comrade and a friend passes on into the afterlife. However, they are never truly gone if you keep the memory and the love you held for that person in your mind and your heart. And the sacrifice Sakura made I can think of nothing nobler than for someone to willingly give their life to save a comrade and friend that they cared for."

Everyone took Shunsui's words to heart, before Yamamoto affirmed his student.

"Well said Shunsui."

A moment later Hinata arrived onto the battlefield, flanked by Princess Koyuki along with a few of her soldiers and Daisuke with several of his own. When Hinata saw Naruto and the blood-stained shirt he wore, she feared he was seriously injured and cried out, as she rushed forward.

"NARU-KUN!"

When the Hyuga girl reached him, she frantically searched for a wound on Naruto, before he was able to stop her and said.

"I'm ok Hina-chan, I'm not hurt."

"But, but all this blood on you?" Hinata stammered in confusion.

"I won't lie to you, I was fatally hurt, but Sakura-chan was able to save me."

"Sak-Sakura saved you?" Hinata asked, before she looked around and then saw Sakura's body lying on the ground silent and unmoving and she gasped in shock, as she stepped towards her to help the pink-haired kunoichi.

"It's too late my hime, you can't help Sakura-chan, she's gone." Naruto said in a sad voice, as he caught Hinata's arm to stop her.

"I, I don't understand, what's going on Naru-kun, what happened?"

"Come with me, I'll explain everything." Naruto solemnly said, as he and Hinata walked away from the others to talk.

* * *

When Naruto and Hinata returned a short time later, the Hyuga girl was softly weeping. It was true that she and Sakura were never close, but she still felt sympathy for her and was eternally grateful that in sacrificing her life, she had saved her beloved Naruto. Upon their return, they noticed Yugito propped up against a tree holding a sleeping Nel within her arms. Both Naruto and Hinata smiled at this sight, before she excused herself and both she and Ino began to prepare Sakura's body for transport back to the Leaf village. As this was going on, Kakashi, along with Kurenai, Sasuke, and Naruto were in deep conversation about Kiba.

"We have a situation here people. Lady Tsunade tasked both myself and Kurenai to bring all of you back to the village safe and unharmed. We've already failed that mission considering what has happened. But now were faced with a bigger issue with regards to Kiba." Kakashi lamented in concern.

"What issue are you talking about?" Sasuke questioned.

"The situation that your attack on Kiba and to a lesser extent Ino's attack as well resulted in Kiba's death could have serious ramifications back in the village, if we bring his body back. It would take the Leaf village Coroner no time at all to figure out that it was a Chidori that mortally wounded Kiba. Upon this discovery, Lady Tsunade would be required to have all of us undergo mind-sweep from a Yamanaka in the Anbu Interrogation and Torture division to learn the truth about everything. And if the truth is revealed, it could cause a clan war within the village of the Inuzuka clan wanting retribution for the murder of the heir of the clan."

"I don't understand, who would Inuzuka clan go to war with? I mean the teme is the last of his clan."

"It's not simple Naruto, if the Inuzuka clan declared war on Sasuke, Lady Tsunade would have to intervene to protect him, pitting the Inuzuka's against the village. Not to mention if they also declare war against the Yamanaka clan for what Ino did. If that were to happen it would draw in all of the other clans due to the various treaties each clan has with another. In short, a full blown civil war could erupt in the Leaf village, if the circumstances of Kiba's death are made public."

"There's an easy enough solution, just bury the mutt here." Sasuke callously remarked.

"Watch your mouth Uchiha. Kiba may have fallen the past few years, but he wasn't always like this and was once an honorable shinobi of the Leaf village. We cannot leave Kiba's body here; the Inuzuka clan and Tsume Inuzuka in particular deserve to be able to mourn for Kiba."

"I agree with Kurenai-sensei, it would cause Tsume and Hana great pain of not being able to mourn for Kiba without some physical representation of him to do so." Hinata stated, as she and Ino joined the others.

"Hina-hime are you sure, I mean after everything that bastard put you through the past three years?" Naruto expressed in disbelief.

"I'm sure Naruto, please don't misunderstand me, it's true I've hated Kiba for the past three years. But at one time he was a valued friend and teammate to me. More important than that is while I've hated Kiba the past three years, I've also grown close to Tsume and Hana and many members of the Inuzuka clan. And as Kurenai-sensei said they all deserve to be able to mourn for Kiba."

"Excuse me, I couldn't help but overhear the dilemma you face with your former comrades death and I believe I have a solution." Yamamoto offered to them.

"What is your solution Yamamoto-san?"

"If I understand your problem correctly young Naruto, you cannot return the body of your former comrade back to your village due to the circumstances around his death. For if you were, it could potentially lead to unrest within your homeland and potentially more deaths in the future. Is that correct?"

"Yes Yamamoto-san; that is the situation we now face." Kakashi contritely answered.

"Then I suggest you return your comrades body in a different form than what it is currently in."

"What do you mean a different form?"

"I mean let the cleansing power of fire transmute your comrade and allow his body to flow to the heavens."

"You want us to cremate Kiba!" Kurenai exclaimed in surprise.

"It does solve the problem of destroying the physical evidence of Kiba's true demise, but we still have the issue of all of us possibly being submitted to undergo a mind-sweep." Kakashi openly commented.

"I can plant a false memory in all of us of Kiba dying a hero's death." Ino suggested to everyone.

"Will your false memory be strong enough to withstand a Yamanaka mind-sweep?"

"Yes Kakashi-sensei, I'm the strongest Yamanaka next to my father in terms of our mental abilities. I believe only he in my clan would be able to perceive my false-memory."

"Well, unless someone can come up with anything better, I'd say this is the best plan to go with."

Everyone nodded their head in agreement with the silver-haired Jounin, before Ino stated with a little concern.

"We do have one problem; I cannot plant a false–memory within myself."

"Well that just blows the plan all to hell then." Sasuke openly groused.

"Not necessarily, I can request that my father be the one to mind-sweep me."

"What good will that do?"

"I believe once my father sees this memory of what were are discussing right now, he will realize the situation we were faced with and act accordingly to protect us."

"So we're just supposed to go on blind faith that your dad will ignore his duty and not turn us in?"

"What other choice do we have Sasuke? I know it's a risk, but I have faith that my father will understand the ramifications of what may happen not only to us, but the entire village if he were to reveal the truth to everyone."

All the Leaf shinobi contemplated deeply what Ino had just said, before Hinata spoke up first surprising all of them and said.

"I believe it is a risk worth taking. Inoichi-san is a kind and honorable man and I believe Ino is correct when she says he will keep the truth to himself in order to protect not only all of us, but the entire Leaf village. And as Ino pointed out, what other choice do we have?"

"So, do we all agree to this plan?" Kakashi asked.

Everybody one by one nodded their head in agreement.

"Ok, I guess our first task is to get Kiba ready for his cremation."

"I will prepare him."

"I will help you, Kurenai-sensei."

"Are you sure Hinata?"

"Kiba was once our friend and teammate, that is how I wish to remember him."

"I'll help you guys too." Ino offered, as all three women began walking towards Kiba's body.

"Sasuke and I will dig and prepare a small grave for his cremation." Kakashi solemnly stated, as he and Sasuke walked away, leaving only Naruto and Gotei 13 Commander.

"Yamamoto-san, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course you may."

"How come you or one of the other shinigami didn't perform the Konso ritual on Kiba like you did with Sakura-chan?"

"We couldn't perform the Konso ritual on your former comrade because his spirit wasn't available to us to do so."

"I don't understand?"

"I fear your comrade's soul had become so corrupt that upon his death he did not appear in the spiritual world as Sakura's did, but was transported to somewhere else."

"Where did his spirit go?"

"I believe his spirit might have been sent to a place we call Hueco Mundo."

"What is that?"

"Hueco Mundo is an evil dimension, which lies in-between the Human World and Soul Society."

"What's going to happen to Kiba there?"

"I don't know young Naruto, I honestly don't know?"

* * *

Naruto and Sasuke laid Kiba's body into the shallow grave and everyone was given an opportunity to say any parting words about him. Everyone did speak, although each of their laments was brief, as Kiba had changed so much the past few years, no one really knew him anymore. After everybody was done, Yamamoto stepped forward and tapped his wooden cane onto Kiba's chest. Instantly, Kiba's body erupted in flames and even though the Inuzuka heir probably didn't deserve it. Many of his former comrades and friends did watch with sadness, as Kiba was reduced to ashes.

When the cremation was done and the grave had cooled. Everyone turned to walk away save for Kakashi and Kurenai who stepped forward with an urn and knelt down to begin to collect Kiba's ashes. Kakashi also knelt down to help, before Kurenai stopped him and said.

"You don't have to help, Kiba was my student and it's my responsibility to do this for him and his family."

"I know I don't have to help, but I want to help. We both lost students today, so I know the pain you're feeling, as it's the same pain I'm enduring as well."

"Thank you Kakashi-kun."

When the two Leaf Jounin finished gathering up Kiba's remains, they walked together back to where all of the shinigami and their comrades were gathered.

"So what do we do now?" Naruto openly asked.

"I humbly ask Naruto that you gather all of your forces and you and all of your comrades here spend tonight as the honored guests of the Land of Spring. I wish to throw all of you a celebration, as a show of gratitude for freeing my people and my land. It will also give my people a chance to see, honor, and thank all the heroes who defeated Madara and the Akatsuki." Princess Koyuki cordially invited, while bowing to everyone in a show of respect and gratitude.

"Well I don't know about the rest of you, but I could use a little rest and relaxation." Shunsui lazily announced to everyone.

"I could use a bit of pampering myself." Yoruichi remarked in agreement, before she leaned over and kissed Shunsui on the cheek.

Naruto looked around at his Leaf village comrades and could see they were all tired and decided a bit of rest couldn't hurt, as he called out.

"Daisuke, gather all of our men and bring them to the palace for a celebration in their honor for our victory over the enemy."

"As you command Naruto-sama." The large axe wielding commander of Naruto's forces replied with a curt bow, before he and his men raced off to carryout Naruto's orders.

As everyone began their trek towards Koyuki castle, Naruto turned and asked Yamamoto a question.

"Yamamoto-san, I want to thank you for helping to defeat Madara and his Akatsuki followers, but what will you do now?"

"Hmm, I've been pondering that very question and after seeing the power you and your comrades displayed on the battlefield today. I believe all of you might be able to help myself and my shinigami brethren."

"How can we help?"

"I'll discuss it with you later after we've gotten settled young Naruto for we have much to discuss about your future and the future of some of your comrades as well."

Naruto wasn't sure what to make of the Gotei 13 commanders last statement, but he was too tired to give it much thought and would learn what it meant soon enough. Naruto then wrapped each of his arms around both Hinata and Ino's shoulders and walked with them towards the castle with both ladies resting their heads on his shoulder.

* * *

**Author Note:** Well I was wrong, there will be at least one more chapter to this tale. Now I know some of you might be upset that I had Naruto forgive Sakura. (I'm wondering if I'm going to have to take refuge in my fortified bunker?) But I mean come on, he's Naruto and his capacity to forgive is one of the things that sets him apart from all others. Also, I think Sakura's confessional to Naruto hopefully explained to a point why she made the irrational decision that she did when she betrayed him. She screwed up big-time, she knows it and because of it she pretty much lost everything. Plus she didn't end up joining Naruto's growing family and I know some of you were worried about that.

Anyway, that aside I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter. It proved to be a difficult one for me to write, especially with all of the farewell's to Sakura. I tried to keep them fairly short with the longest one's being Ino's, Sasuke's, and Naruto's. As those were the three characters I felt Sakura needed to make peace with most before she moved on. Emotionally, it wasn't the most uplifting of chapters, but the title did sort of warn you of what the tone of the chapter was going to be. As for why I wasn't more cruel with Kiba's death my only defense is realism. I mean when you see someone kill a person you love or deeply care about. You're not going to stop and have a rational thought of _how can I torture this person before I kill him?_ No you're probably going to react as Sasuke did and immediately try to kill the murderer of you're loved one. To my credit, I did throw in Ino gouging out an eyeball, you had to at least like that.

I do wish to thank everyone both old and new readers who took the time to review my last chapter. You all had a lot to say about it and I'm pleased that this story has such a strong fan base with readers who actually write out well thought-out reviews. Because of that, I enjoy reading many of your reviews, so please leave lots of them, as they do help a writer get a sense of the thoughts and opinions of the fans of a story. They also can help lift the spirits of an author as well. Also, to any readers who are staff members to any C2 communities, please feel free to add my story to your community if you feel it is worthy of it. I won't mind, I swear. I'll even pinkie swear if I need to?

* * *

**News:**

In 2010, my fellow author brown phantom initiated a poll asking the following question.

**Who is the best Naruto fan fiction writer on this site?**

Well, brownphantom started a second poll last year asking the same question.

That poll closed at the start of this year and I ended up finishing a very respectable sixth, just five votes shy of cracking the top 5, but still up two places from the 2010 poll. So I wish to thank all of you who took the time to go to brownphantoms profile page and vote for me. I appreciate it so much, as it does give me validation and encouragement to continue to write knowing that there are so many of you who truly like and enjoy my stories. I'm grateful to all of you for your support.

**End of News:**

* * *

Thanks to everyone for your support of this story!

Take it easy and be good!

**_Kingkakashi_**


	35. Returning Home

**Do I Have A Purpose Anymore?**

**Chapter 35: "Returning Home"**

* * *

Princess Koyuki and the people of the Land of Spring threw an amazing celebration in gratitude of Naruto and the Leaf shinobi with him, along with the shinigami who had helped to defeat Madara and his Akatsuki forces freeing their land from his tyranny. The party had lasted for two days, before the atmosphere of merriment finally began to subside. During the two-day festivity the shinigami had a wonderful time, as it had been centuries since any of them had been able relax and cut loose like this.

The two most active party-goers of the shinigami were undeniably Shunsui and Yoruichi, as they spent the majority of their time drinking and carousing with each other during the celebration. Byakuya was a hit with many of the ladies of the Land of Spring. Unfortunately, while he was polite about it, the stoic shinigami rejected all of the amorous invitations given to him. Head Captain Yamamoto preferred solitude and spent his time meditating in privacy in the room Princess Koyuki had provided to him. Yumichika had spent his time helping the princess plan and execute the celebration, while Zaraki had spent the most of his time draining the expansive wine-cellar Princess Koyuki had in her possession. Kira had played the role of babysitter at the behest of the eye-patch wearing shinigami, as he kept a watchful over Yachiru, while she played with Nelliel and many of the children of the Land of Spring.

As for the Leaf village shinobi, Kakashi and Kurenai had spent the majority of their time together, which seemed to set the mood for the rest of the shinobi. Sasuke and Momo had also chosen to spend their time together and get to no one another. Meanwhile, Naruto had spent his time getting used to his new burgeoning relationship with both Hinata and Ino, while also spending time with Yugito. The blonde Jinchuuriki soon realized that maintaining an equal relationship with all three women in the future would be difficult at times to say the least. However, Naruto also decided that having three beautiful women who loved him was not the worst of problems a man could have.

So after two days with the celebration was finally waning, Head Captain Yamamoto had sent out an invitation for all of the former shinigami and the Leaf shinobi to join him for lunch, as he had a serious matter he needed to discuss with all of them.

"Thank you all for coming; it is most appreciated by me." Yamamoto announced to everyone present inside the dining hall of Koyuki castle.

"I can't speak for the Naruto and his comrades, but the rest of us know from the past that your invitations aren't something to ignore ol' Yama. Not if you wish to remain in good health in the future." Shunsui replied in amusement.

"Hmph, still impudent as ever, be that as it may, the reason I called all of you here is discuss are next course of action."

"Why did you want us here Yamamoto-san?"

"Because young Naruto, I believe I will need you and the rest of your comrades help to achieve what I have planned for myself and the rest of my shinigami brethren."

"What do have planned for us Head Captain Yamamoto?"

"To go home Byakuya….to go home!"

This statement caused a collective gasp among the shinigami, who had long resigned to themselves that they were stuck in the human world forever. They all looked at their Head Captain in bewilderment and confusion, before he spoke once more with authority.

"I know many of you never believed we could ever return to the Soul Society, but I have harbored a theory for many years that we could. And now is the time for that to happen."

"Why is now the time?" Yumichika asked in curiosity.

"Now is the time because of the fortunate encounter of meeting young Naruto and his comrades."

"I don't understand Yamamoto-san, how does meeting me help you guys get home?"

"As you know the end of the Shinigami/Arrancar war came about when the Shinigami and the Arrancar released all of our powers out at once at one another. With the resulting explosion, ripping a hole through the fabric of time, space, and dimensions, which resulted in all of the remaining Shinigami being flung throughout the history of time into the human world."

"Yeah, I know about that." Naruto replied, still perplexed.

"Well at the time I met you young Naruto, I believed that myself, Shunsui, and Yoruichi were the only shinigami to arrive in this time period within the human world. It wasn't until I met your comrade Sasuke and learned of the existence of Byakuya, one of my most powerful Gotei 13 Captains that I began to gain hope."

"Hope in what old man?" Yoruichi questioned.

"Hope in gathering enough individuals of sufficient power to return all of us to the Soul Society."

"I don't understand?"

"When I discovered that Byakuya had also been thrown into this time period, I gained hope that perhaps there might be more shinigami roaming around in this time period. And indeed my hope came to fruition upon the discovery of not only Zaraki, but also of Ikkaku, Yumachiki, Kira, and Momo, five of my most powerful officers were also present. And though Ikkaku lost his life in battle, I still think with Naruto and his comrades help, that we have enough combined power to return all of us to our home."

Everyone in the dining hall remained silent, as they contemplated Yamamoto's words. After a couple of minutes, it was Naruto who finally spoke up and asked.

"Yamamoto-san, I'm more than willing and I'm sure so are my comrades to help all of you in returning home, but I'm not sure how we can."

"I must agree, as I to fail to see how we will be able to return to the Soul Society?" Byakuya stoically remarked to the Head Captain.

"Yeah, what's your plan ol' Yama?" Shunsui exclaimed in query.

"What I propose to send us back to the Soul Society is a reenactment of what sent us here in the first place." Yamamoto declared in earnest.

Everyone looked around at one another, wondering if they had heard the Head Captain right, before he spoke once more.

"I propose that if all of the shinigami present, along with Naruto and a few of his comrades. Unleash a simultaneous barrage of our most powerful attacks onto a specific point. I believe the resulting explosion from all of our powers converging onto a precise spot will rip a hole through the fabric of time, space, and dimensions as before and allow us to return to the Soul Society."

Once again, a pall of silence fell over the room, as everyone was stunned by what the Head Captain was proposing to return them home. It was an audacious plan to be sure, but many of the shinigami silently wondered if the plan could work. Finally, it was Byakuya who spoke up to voice his opinion of the plan as he formally asked.

"Head Captain Yamamoto, I will follow as always whatever command you give me, but I must ask. How confident are you that such a plan will even succeed?"

"It is not a matter of confidence, but more of I believe its the only chance we have to return to the Soul Society. We have spent too long within the human world and do not belong here. I will not order or force any of you to do this, but as honored shinigami, it is my hope that you will agree that if there is any chance we can return to the Soul Society, then it is a risk worth taking no matter whether we know if it will succeed or fail."

Each shinigami looked around at one another to gauge what their comrades felt about this. Slowly but surely, each of them nodded their head in agreement, except for one. When all of the other shinigami gazes fell upon Momo, she nervously gulped, before she stammered.

"Co-Commander Yamamoto, I will indeed add my own power to the task you've ordered, but afterwards I don't wish to return to the Soul Society with the rest of you."

"You wish to remain in the human world?" Kira asked in surprise.

"I-I do Kira-kun." The young woman replied, before she demurely flashed a small smile to Sasuke seated next to her.

Sasuke returned the smile, as he placed his hand over her own on the table and gave it a gentle squeeze in support of her.

"Are you sure of this young Momo?"

"Hai Commander Yamamoto, I'm sure."

The Head Captain noticed the close connection between his officer and the Uchiha youth and understood why Momo wanted to stay. Yamamoto inwardly chuckled, as once again the power of love proved to be a very formidable opponent. So, the wizened shinigami was not going to fight to keep her, but he also knew she couldn't stay as she was and said.

"I will grant your request to stay, but know if you do, you must relinquish your zanpaktou, which as you know also means giving up your shinigami powers and living the rest of your life as a normal human in this world. Are you willing to do all of this to stay?"

"If that is the cost of me staying, then I will pay it."

"Momo-chan, are you sure?" Sasuke asked in concern.

"Hai Sasuke-kun, I am."

Everyone remained quiet, as the tender scene of the young couple was touching, but after a minute Naruto finally asked the Head Captain.

"You said you wanted me and a few of my comrades to help you, which of us do you need?"

"I believe the collective power of you, Yugito, Kakashi, Sasuke, and perhaps little Nelliel combined with the power of the shinigami present will be enough to create the spacial opening needed to send us back home."

Naruto pondered this a moment, before he finally said.

"I will help you Yamamoto-san, but I can't speak for the others."

"I will help." Yugito announced.

"As will I." Kakashi followed in suit.

"I too shall help." Sasuke replied.

"Excellent, I thank all of you for this." Yamamoto expressed with sincerity.

"So when are we going to do this ol' Yama?" Shunsui lazily asked.

Yamamoto shot his former student a hardened glare, before he cleared his throat and said.

"Within the next few days, but we cannot do it here. We must seek out a desolate area devoid of human population, as the forces we unleash may come to harm nearby people of this world."

"I know of such a place, we can travel there as Naruto and the rest of my comrades return to the Village Hidden in the Leaves."

Naruto leveled a hard glare at his former sensei at the subtle reminder that he had promised to return to the Leaf village for a short time, as a condition for their help in defeating Madara and his Akatsuki forces to free the Land of Spring.

"I don't need to be reminded of what I promised!" Naruto curtly announced.

Kakashi flashed his patented eye-smile and waved his hands in front of him and said in defense.

"No, no Naruto, I swear I wasn't reminding you of that. I was just letting the Head Captain know that I knew of a spot where we could perform our attempt to send him and his comrades' home without endangering any people."

"Yeah, sure you were." Naruto mumbled under his breath.

"Then we will head out, as soon as you are ready young Naruto." Yamamoto declared, as he held a goblet high in the air to toast everyone to a successful endeavor.

* * *

Later that day, Naruto made his way to the Crimson Army encampment to give his final orders to all of the former bandits who had fought so bravely and survived in defeating Madara's Akatsuki troops so decisively on the battlefield. Naruto had to admit he was proud of them, not only because of their victory, but that they had elevated themselves from being lowly criminals to now honored warriors. Naruto ordered Daisuke to call the troops to formation. A scant thirty seconds later all 100+ Crimson soldiers were lined up in six orderly platoons with a single officer at the head of each and Daisuke in front of all of them. As Naruto stepped up to dais to address his soldiers, he felt a bit saddened as he spoke.

"Today, I want to commend and thank all of you for your bravery and honor in serving to free the people of the Land of Spring. I am grateful for your loyalty since I took over this command and I'm grateful for your friendship and support. When I first met all of you, you were nothing more than a ragtag vagabond group of thieves. However, in a short time you all proved to be so much more than that. You became fierce and respected warriors supremely determined and dedicated to fighting to the best of your abilities, not for yourself, but for the innocent who could not fight. Because of this I feel pride in all of you who served so selflessly."

Naruto took a moment to pause and exhale a deep breath, before he continued.

"So it is with a heavy heart that I now release your services to me and set you free to pursue your life. I cannot help but feel a great sense of loss by doing this, but all of you deserve no less for what you have done. You've all served me well and as your Commander, I know more than most what superb soldiers you have become. So although we are saying goodbye today, I know we are not saying goodbye to the qualities you now possess in abundance."

Naruto paused once again to collect his thoughts.

"Princess Koyuki with the blessing of the people of the Land of Spring have offered to all of you permanent residence within their land, if you so choose to accept it. Their generosity is above being commendable considering the princess has already provided to all of you a sizable monetary recompense, which will allow any of you to live in relative comfort for the rest of your lives."

Naruto took another deep breath and exhaled, before he said with reverence.

And though the people of the Land of Spring acknowledge all of you as heroes, let us not forget, our unsung heroes of the comrades we lost during the battle."

Everyone took a moment to lower their head in a moment of silence at remembrance of those comrades who fell to Madara and his Akatsuki forces. After a minute, Naruto raised his head and spoke once more.

"So although today I am sad to part ways with you, I am also glad that you are being given the opportunity to prove yourselves in the future, as you have proven yourselves in the past, by becoming loyal citizens to Princess Koyuki and the Land of Spring if you so choose. I know that those who do will serve her as you have served me in our time together with loyalty, professionalism and true hearts. May Kami bless you all and know you'll always be to me the best troops I could have hoped for to achieve the victory that we did."

Naruto exhaled one more heavy sigh, before he gave his final order.

"Honored Crimson army soldiers, you are now discharged!"

All of Naruto's Leaf comrades who had been watching Naruto give his final address to his troops, they were suitably impressed with his words and the leadership he was projecting. So much so, that even Sasuke openly commented in admiration.

"He really will make a great Hokage."

'_Only if we can convince him to return to the Leaf village permanently and accept the position.' _Kakashi thought grimly to himself, as he watched Naruto step down from the stage he had been speaking from.

Even the shinigami were impressed by the farewell speech Naruto had given to his troops, as Yamamoto smirked, before he asked to his former student and Gotei 13 officer Shunsui.

"Do you still doubt what I propose?"

"No, you were right." Shunsui answered in agreement, before he asked.

"So when are you to present your idea to them?"

"Before we make our attempt to return to the Soul Society." The Head Captain stoically replied.

* * *

The next morning, all preparations had been made to leave the Land of Spring and trek back to the Crimson army encampment to where they had left the women and children behind for their safety, before everyone went their separate ways. The shinigami had gathered at the burial site of their fallen comrade Ikkaku to pay their final respects to him. However, as this was going on, Naruto was caught by surprise when he entered the courtyard of Koyuki castle and found Daisuke along with several Crimson army soldiers waiting for him. Upon his arrival, all of the gathered troops bowed in respect, before Daisuke rose and approached Naruto.

"Naruto-sama, I have been tasked to speak with you on behalf of the men present before you."

Naruto cocked an eyebrow in curiosity at this, before he asked.

"Alright Daisuke, we do you wish to say?"

"Yesterday, Princess Koyuki and her people have offered us refuge and citizenship here in the Land of Spring."

"I know of this."

"Well, while some of the men have gratefully accepted their gracious offer to stay. I and the rest of the men here, while indeed appreciative that Princess Koyuki and her people would extend to us such a proposal. We must respectfully decline, as it is not what we want or desire for our futures."

"Ok, what is it exactly that you and the rest of the men do want?"

"To remain in the service of you Naruto-sama."

This response caught Naruto by surprise and he was confused why they would want to stay in servitude to him, instead of living their lives as free men. The blonde Jinchuuriki was unsure how to respond and took a moment to collect his thoughts before he asked.

"I don't understand Daisuke, what do you mean you and the rest of these men want to remain in the service of me?"

"Naruto-sama, what you said in your speech releasing our services to you was correct. Before you came along, the Crimson army was nothing but a ragtag vagabond group of thieves. We were the scum of the earth and cared about nothing other than what we could steal. We had no leader to command or control our wanton desires for ourselves. Even when Kenpachi-sama and his men came and he became our leader, he cared little about what we did and was only interested in having a place to call home. It was only when you arrived and took over command that you provided to the majority of us that which we were sorely lacking, but needed in our lives."

"What did I provide to all of you?" Naruto queried in curiosity.

"A purpose Naruto-sama,…..you provided to us a purpose."

"A purpose, I don't understand?"

"When you became our leader, you finally gave us that which we were missing, a purpose in our lives. You showed to us and believed that we could be something more than just lowly bandits. We took this to heart and strived through your training to become the men you thought we could be. I and the men behind me are grateful for this and the purpose you have given us."

"What is this purpose I've provided to you?" Naruto asked, perplexed by what Daisuke has been saying.

"Our purpose Naruto-sama is to still faithfully serve under your command for the rest of our lives."

"But why would you want to do this, I've given all of you your freedom to do as you wish in your lives. Are you sure all of you have thought this through?"

"But what we want is to continue to loyally serve you and yes Naruto-sama; we have thought and discussed this matter throughout the night. I and the men behind me will follow you straight into the bowels of Hell if you so command. Please do not just dismiss us, for if you do I fear many of the men will revert back to living a life without any purpose to it and regress back into the lowly scum they were, before you entered our lives." Daisuke pleaded, while he bowed his head to Naruto once more in respect.

Naruto scrunched his brow and thought in frustration to himself.

'_Damn it, I don't believe this. When I left Konoha it was to live the rest of my life in solitude. Now I've got a daughter, three women who are in love with me, a baby on the way, and now over 100 men who are essentially telling me that if they can't continue to serve under my command they will be lost for the rest of their lives. Kami must be laughing his ass off right now, by doing this to me.' _

Naruto looked up and exhaled a deep breath, before he addressed the men present with a voice filled with authority.

"Very well men, I am honored that you hold me in such high regard and reverence. I'd like to offer my thanks to all of you, you've served me well and though I don't know what the future beckons for me, it is clear that I will meet that future with all of you by my side."

A loud cheer erupted from the men present, before Daisuke sternly reprimanded them and they quickly returned to attention.

"Daisuke, have preparations been finished to return to the civilian encampment?"

"Hai Naruto-sama."

"Very good, we will be leaving within the hour. You and the rest of the men are here dismissed!"

As Naruto walked back into the castle, he was stopped by Hinata who asked in curiosity.

"Naru-kun, what was all that cheering I heard?"

"I was nothing Hinata, just one hundred more headaches I have to deal with on top of the ones I already have." Naruto cynically replied, while rubbing his temple.

* * *

Before the caravan of soldiers, shinigami, and shinobi left to return to the civilian encampment. Naruto addressed the former soldiers of his Crimson army who had chosen to stay in the Land of Spring. The blonde Jinchuuriki essentially ordered them to serve Princess Kazahana Koyuki as faithfully and with as much loyalty as they had showed him. He then bid each personally farewell, to which the soldiers were most honored at such a gesture. Naruto then bid Koyuki goodbye and told her if she ever needed his assistance again, he would be there for her. Koyuki had tears in her eyes as she hugged Naruto and kissed his cheek, thanking him once more for freeing her country for a second time.

Several hours later the caravan arrived at the civilian encampment and many of the Crimson soldiers were reunited with their families and loved ones. Daisuke hugged and peppered both his wife and daughter with kisses upon seeing them once more. Naruto ordered a celebration to be prepared and there was a most joyous mood throughout the entire camp. However, in the back of Naruto's mind, he was contemplating what might happen the next day, when he and the others would attempt to send their shinigami allies back home.

It had been a festive celebration the night before when Naruto woke up the next morning. Looking down he couldn't help but smile at seeing both Hinata and Ino resting their heads on his chest and sleeping peacefully in his arms. Naruto grumbled to himself, as he wanted to just lay there in comfort, but he knew he had to get up, as he was an integral part in the plan to return the shinigami back to the Soul Society. The Soul Society, Naruto wondered to himself what that place was like and he held a desire to see it for himself. Alas he figured that was nothing but a pipe-dream, as he tried to extricate himself from Hinata and Ino's clutches without waking them.

However, Naruto was unsuccessful in this endeavor, as both women were stirred awake and rubbed their eyes, before Hinata asked.

"Naru-kun, where are you going?"

"I'm sorry I woke you up Hinata, you to Ino, but I have to meet up with Yamamoto-san and go over the plan to send him and the other shinigami back home."

"Well wait a moment Naruto-kun and Hinata and I will go with you."

"Alright Ino, but just to the meeting, like I said last night, both of you are to remain here at the encampment for your safety, when I head out to help them."

"We know, but I still wish you would let us come with you." Hinata softly remarked.

"It's too dangerous, according to Yamamoto-san, we need to get several miles away from the camp to the location Kakashi spoke about to avoid anyone not involved from getting hurt."

"So the only people going with you are you, Kakashi, Sasuke, and Yugito?"

"Yes, they are the only ones who can channel their power into a single shot or technique to combine with the shinigami attacks to try and create the portal needed to send them home."

"So Kurenai-sensei will also be staying behind?" Hinata questioned.

"Yeah, she'll be staying behind as well."

"Knowing Kurenai-sensei like I do, I can't imagine she's going to be very happy about that."

"Well, that's Kakashi-sensei's problem, not mine. Now hurry up you two and get dressed, if you want to come with me to this meeting."

"Oh pooh Naruto-kun, don't you like what we're wearing now?" Ino playfully teased, while striking a sexy pose in her bra and panties.

Naruto looked back and forth between Ino and Hinata who was not wearing a bra, but a very low cut and tight t-shirt, which was short enough that he could see the under swell of her ample breasts poking out from the hem of the shirt. Naruto instantly began to harden at the sight of the two women in their sparse entire, as he gazed lustfully at them. It took all of the sheer will he could muster, before he finally tore his gaze away from them and growled in aggravation, before hastily exiting the tent.

"Damn it Ino, just get dressed!"

"Ino, you shouldn't tease Naru-kun like that." Hinata scolded to her friend.

"What teasing, if he had wanted to take me right here and now I wouldn't be stopping him. Besides Hinata, it's good to keep our man on his toes whenever we can." Ino mischievously replied.

"Well, let's get dressed and go pick-up Nel, before we see him off. I know Naru-kun has promised us that he will be alright, but I'm still worried this might be the last time we see him." Hinata stated in a concerned tone.

Ino heard the distressed tone in Hinata's voice and leaned over and hugged her friend, while saying with reassurance.

"Don't worry about Naruto-kun, like you said he promised us he would be ok and you know he never breaks a promise once he makes it."

"I hope you're right." Hinata softly remarked, as she hugged Ino a bit tighter.

* * *

"Damn it Kurenai, it's not that I don't want you there, but it's too dangerous for you to be there when we open the time-space rift to send the shinigami back to the Soul Society." Kakashi declared in frustration, while he dressed, as Kurenai leveled a hard gaze at her lover.

"I'm a big girl Kakashi, I've told you before I'm not some damsel in distress who needs to be saved or protected!" Kurenai snapped in irritation.

Kakashi kneeled down and Kurenai was surprised when he suddenly placed a tender and loving kiss upon her lips, which she reciprocated, before he broke away and said.

"I know you're not a damsel in distress, but you are a stubborn woman. I love you and I'm not about to risk you getting injured or worse by accompanying me. I know this is hard for you to hear, but you can't help in this endeavor to send the shinigami home. If you could then you would be right by my side, but since you can't, I would prefer knowing that you're safe and sound back here at the camp, whether you like it or not."

Kurenai tried to glare at Kakashi, but found she really couldn't and could already see by the stern and determined look upon his face that no matter what she said, he was not going to let her come with him. Heaving a defeated sigh, as she wrapped the sheet she was holding a little bit tighter around her body and said with resignation, before threatening.

"Alright, I'll stay behind, but you damn well better return to me or I swear to Kami I will hunt you down in the afterlife and make it a living hell for you for the rest of eternity!"

"I promise Kure-chan, I will return." Kakashi lovingly assured the red-eyed Jounin kunoichi, as he placed a quick chaste kiss on her cheek, before he left the tent to meet Naruto and the others.

* * *

A short time later, all of the Leaf shinobi were gathered with shinigami, as Yamamoto began the meeting.

"As you all know, today is the day we shall attempt with the help of Naruto and his comrades to open a portal that will allow us to return home to the Soul Society."

A moment of grim silence enveloped everyone, before the Head Captain continued on.

"Kakashi, you said you knew of an area where we could attempt this without endangering any civilians."

"Hai Yamamoto-san, it is a barren land devoid of any people about half a day's journey from here."

"Very good, we shall let you lead the way to this place."

Yamamoto then turned to Naruto and the others and asked.

"Are you, Sasuke, Yugito, and little Nel ready for this?"

Both Sasuke and Yugito quickly nodded their heads in acceptance, before Naruto said in a stern voice.

"I am ready Yamamoto-san, but Nel will not be accompanying us."

Nel's eyes grew wide in surprise upon hearing this and scurried out of Hinata's arms and marched up to stand in front of Naruto and asked in a hurt tone of voice.

"Why won't I be coming Papa-Naru?"

Naruto knelt down to look his surrogate daughter in the eyes and tried to explain.

"It's too dangerous for a little girl Nel-chan. I would feel much better if you stayed behind and safe with Mama-Hinata and Ino."

The little green-haired Arrancar scowled at Naruto's answer and in a miffed tone of voice exclaimed.

"I'm not a little girl, I'm a big girl! I heard Yama-jii tay he needed my help to tend him home. I want to help Yama-jii Papa-Naru, pleath let me help!"

Naruto looked up to Yamamoto who said with resignation.

"Her power would help to increase our chances of sending us home."

"Are you sure?" Naruto asked with a little skepticism, before Yamamoto nodded his head in confirmation.

"Pleath Papa-Naru, let me go with you." Nel pleaded to her adopted father.

Naruto looked over to Hinata and asked with uncertainty.

"What do you think Hina-chan?"

"I don't like it Naru-kun, but if she can help, then I think you should take her with you."

"It might be dangerous." Naruto countered.

"I know, but I have faith that you won't let anything happen to her."

Naruto turned back around to stare at Nel, before he exhaled a weary sigh and said with a little hesitation.

"Alright Nel-chan, you can come with me to help Yama-jii."

"Yay…..!" Nel squealed in delight, before she leapt up and hugged Naruto fiercely around his neck.

Naruto returned the warm embrace, before he pulled Nell away from him and said in no uncertain terms to her.

"You can come, but you are not to leave my side…..ever, while were there and you will do everything I tell you with no argument, understand?"

"I understand Papa-Naru." Nel contritely answered.

As Naruto put Nel down and rose to his feet, Yamamoto cleared his throat and announced to everyone present.

"Before we begin our journey, there is one more matter I wish to propose to Naruto and his comrades."

"What is it you want to say?"

"What I want to say young Naruto is I have watched you and your comrades conduct yourselves with honor, respect, and courage. These are traits which I highly regard, which is why I'm offering to all of you this noble endeavor."

"Wh-what endeavor?"

"What I propose is that when fate has deemed your time finished in the human world. All of you will join us in the Soul Society and become honored members of the Shinigami Gotei 13 Court Squads."

Yoruichi and the rest of the shinigami present except for Shunsui were stunned that the Head Captain was offering such an honor to Naruto and his comrades. Equally shocked were all of the Leaf shinobi, as they couldn't even begin to fathom what a life would be like as a shinigami. Finally Naruto in a stuttering voice asked in bewilderment.

"You, you m-mean you want us to become shinigami after we die?"

"Yes Naruto, if we are indeed successful in returning to the Soul Society, I already know we suffered heavy losses and many respected shinigami perished during the Shinigami/Arrancar war. Because of those losses, we will need many honorable people from the human world to replenish our ranks. And I believe that you Naruto and your comrades, among many others residing in your home village would be of immense value and needed to bring our shinigami forces back to full strength."

"So when we die, we would just become shinigami?"

"No Sasuke-kun, it doesn't work that way. You would first spend some time at the Shino Academy where you will learn and train how to be a shinigami, before you are officially inducted into the Gotei 13 Court Squads." Momo answered, for her Head Captain.

"Yamamoto-san, you mentioned also making others from our home village this offer when they pass on to become shinigami, how can you know they are worthy if you've never seen or met any of them? Also, how will we traverse to reach the Soul Society and become shinigami?" Kakashi asked.

"A valid point you make, but all I can ask you is this. Are there others within your village who demonstrate the honor, loyalty, respect, and courage I've seen in all of you?"

Kakashi paused a moment, as he thought of many of his comrades like Might Gai, Iruka, Anko, Shizune, even the Hokage and recognized that they did indeed possess the traits Yamamoto had just described, before he answered with certainty.

"Hai, there are many in the Hidden Leaf village that hold the qualities you ask for to become a shinigami."

"I thought as much considering the fine examples I have witnessed in all of you." Yamamoto offered in sincere compliment, before he added.

"However, we will make it a point to watch your village, as well as all of the shinobi villages of the Elemental nations for possible candidates to join the Gotei 13 Court Squads upon their passing from this plane of existence. And as for how you will traverse to the Soul Society, upon the time of your death, one of the shinigami you have met here today will ferry you there. Provided of course we are successful in our task of returning home today."

"Why will you just watch the shinobi villages?"

"Because those villages are the only ones in the human world who have a similar structure, as well as the principles the Gotei 13 Court Squads try to conduct ourselves as honored shinigami." Yamamoto declared with pride in explanation to Ino's question.

Once again, a pall of silence fell over the Leaf shinobi, as each one of them pondered what they have been offered by the Head Captain. After a minute, it was Kakashi who spoke up and succinctly remarked to everyone present.

"Well I accept Yamamoto-san's offer, besides it gives me a certain sense of comfort knowing what awaits me after I die."

The rest of the Leaf shinobi present couldn't refute that thought process from Kakashi. With nothing else left to say, Naruto, Nel and Yugito bid goodbye to Hinata and Ino, while Kakashi did the same with Kurenai. As the three women watched their friends, comrades, and loved ones shushin away with the shinigami, they all silently prayed to Kami for their safe return to them.

* * *

A few hours later, as Naruto and the others arrived at the desolate land Kakashi had told them about. Everyone looked around and could see that the silver-haired Jounin was right. There was no sign of any people or civilization for miles upon miles in this wasteland. Naruto held Nel in his arms, before Yamamoto spoke up and declared.

"Naruto, before we attempt this, we should find a sufficient shelter for you and your comrades to take safety in for your protection. We do not wish for you or any of your friends to be pulled into the vortex with us."

Naruto and the others looked around before he spied a large rock out cropping a half-mile away and openly announced, while pointing to it.

"That should do the trick."

Naruto began walking towards the large rock out cropping followed by the others and upon reaching it, Sasuke asked in confusion.

"How is this rock going to protect us?"

Indeed the others were also curious about this, as the rock was indeed large standing about 40ft in height and had a circumference of over 100ft, but they wondered skeptically how it would protect them from being pulled into the vortex.

"It's not the rock that's going to protect us, but the cave within it." Naruto announced to everyone.

"What cave dobe?"

"This one teme!" Naruto declared, before he opened his palm and created a Rasengan and slammed it into the side of the rock.

Everyone looked on in fascination, as Naruto used his Rasengan to carve a tunnel leading to a small cave he excavated out of the rock. After a few minutes, the blonde Jinchuuriki completed his task and exited from within the stone and brushed his hands off and said.

"That should be good enough to keep us safe until the vortex closes. We just have to make sure that once we unleash our attacks and the portal opens, everyone needs to get back here and inside as fast as they can.

Nel commented in appreciation to her father.

"That's a neat cave Papa-Naru."

"Thank you Nel-chan, but remember, you are not to leave my side when we do this…understood?"

"I won't leave you."

"Good girl."

Naruto then turned to Yamamoto and asked.

"Yamamoto-san, I know you said that Nel-chan's power can help, but how is she supposed to access it in her child form?"

"In speaking with Kira and learning how Nelliel repelled an attack on the Medical platoon during your fight against Madara. I believe I have come up with a plan that will solve two problems with one stone so to speak."

"What two problems?"

"The first problem as you mentioned is how to utilize the young girls Arrancar powers and the second problem how to strip away Momo's shinigami powers and allow her to stay in the human realm as a human."

"What is your plan Commander Yamamoto to accomplish this?" Momo hesitantly asked.

"You Momo will fire a Kido blast at Nelliel and you will put virtually all of your power into that blast."

"Wh-what, wait a minute, what do you mean fire a Kido blast at Nel-chan?" Naruto exclaimed in concern.

"It's ok Papa-Naru, it won't hurt me."

"It's true Naruto-san, I myself witnessed your daughter open her mouth and swallow an intense beam of chakra, before a moment later she opened her mouth again and fired the beam back at the Akatsuki followers with a force exceeding that of the original blast. This concentrated beam of condensed chakra redirected back at Akatsuki literally vaporized them because of the sheer power of the blast." Kira offered in explanation to Naruto.

"So you mean to have her do the same from Momo's attack?" Naruto questioned.

"Yes Naruto and because Nel's Arrancar powers will amplify the Kido blast Momo sends to her. All little Nelliel has to do is redirect to the same spot in the atmosphere we all will be launching our attacks towards." Yamamoto answered in confidence.

"Are you sure you can do this Nel-chan?"

"I can do it Papa."

Naruto nodded his head in understanding, before heard Momo ask in curiosity.

"Instead of using a Kido attack, shouldn't I use an attack using my zanpaktou?"

"No Momo, I have another use in mind for your zanpaktou. It will be utilized as the target of everyone's concentrated attack."

"Won't that destroy my zanpaktou Commander Yamamoto?"

"No, but it will augment our combined attacks and hopefully open the time-space portal and allow us to go through it. Upon entering the vortex, I will take the zanpaktou back with me and once it is removed from the human world, you will lose your shinigami powers you possess and become a normal human. Are you still sure you wish to stay?"

Momo pondered this question a moment, before she looked towards Sasuke and smiled, as she then turned back towards her soon to be Ex-Head Captain said in an unwavering voice.

"I am sure Commander Yamamoto!"

"Very well, unless there are any questions, everyone gather around so we can decide where each of our designated positions should be."

* * *

A short time later, everyone was spread apart and awaiting the signal from Yamamoto to prepare and fire off their attacks. The Head Captain lifted his head to the heavens, while holding Momo's zanpaktou in his hand. Exhaling a heavy sigh, he suddenly whirled around and threw the blade with tremendous force into the sky. Everyone looked on in amazement as the blade sped higher and higher into the atmosphere. Once it had attained a height of over five miles, Yamamoto lifted his hand into the air and shouted.

"HALT!"

Suddenly the rocketing blade stopped, before it began to glow like a beacon, giving everyone a clear target to unleash their attacks. Yamamoto then ordered with conviction.

"BEGIN!"

Immediately all of the shinigami began to power up their most powerful Bankai attacks save for Momo who began to chant.

**"**_**Sprinkled on the bones of the beast! Sharp tower, red crystal, steel ring. Move and become the wind, stop and become the calm. The sound of warring spears fills the empty castle!"** _

Suddenly, an orb of yellow lighting appeared above the palm of her hands, which she then pointed towards Nel standing 100 yards away. As Momo continued to chant, she poured more and more of power into the orb she held. Meanwhile Naruto went into Sage-mode and began to create a Sage Art: Ultra Big Ball Rasengan, enhancing it not only with sage chakra, but Kyuubi was also lending a significant amount of his own chakra into the destructive gigantic ball of energy. Meanwhile, Yugito had entered into her tailed-beast mode and was currently molding a powerful bijuu bomb to unleash. As the two-tailed Jinchuuriki was doing this, Kakashi and Sasuke were utilizing Ikkaku's zanpaktou as a lightning rod and were pouring into it as much lightning chakra as they could to unleash.

After a few minutes, Yamamoto lifted his wooden staff and pointed it skyward. Instantly, the wood began peeling off, revealing its true form of Ryujin Jakka, the oldest and most powerful zanpaktou of the Soul Society. Yamamoto then signaled Momo, who cried out.

"**Hado #63 Raikoho!"** (Thunder Roar Sear)

A massive concentration of energy that appeared as a high level lightning strike erupted from Momo's palms and raced towards Nelliel. For her part, Nel bravely stepped forward and opened her mouth much to the shock of Naruto, as she swallowed the intense beam of Kido. A moment later, the eyes of Nel's Arrancar skull mask glowed, signaling to the Head Captain who commanded with authority.

"Honored warriors…UNLEASH!"

The little Arrancar then opened her mouth and fired the beam with a force exceeding that of the original attack towards the glowing blade hovering in the sky. Simultaneously, Naruto and the rest of his comrades, along with all of the shinigami fired off their own attacks with Nel's. A few seconds later, as all of the attacks struck in unison, there was a massive sonic boom followed by an explosion that could be heard for hundreds of miles. In fact the force of the explosion had been so intense, it actually knocked everyone below to the ground save for Yamamoto.

A few seconds later, everyone got up and was looking around at one another, as it seemed that nothing was happening. They all looked up to the sky to see Momo's zanpaktou glowing so brightly, it was like a mini-sun in the heavens. Then everybody noticed that all of the clouds were being drawn towards the floating blade. Suddenly there was an explosion of light, before the sky began to change color into an ominous obsidian black color. It was then that the sky seemed to crack open and everyone below could start to feel a growing pressure pulling them towards it.

Naruto immediately shunshin'd over to Nel who had collapsed to the ground and lifted the little girl into his arms, while Sasuke did the same with Momo. They along with Kakashi and Yugito sped towards their makeshift safety shelter, as the pull towards rift in the sky was increasing exponentially. In a matter of seconds, the entire landscape around them from all foliage, trees, and loose rocks began to be pulled up with incredible speed into the swirling vortex above.

Yamamoto signaled his shinigami to begin entering through the portal. Kira, Yumachiki, and Zaraki with Yachiru hugging him tightly leapt skyward into the void. Shunsui and Yoruichi grasped hands and smiled at one another, before they two jumped up and were sucked away. For his part Yamamoto quickly flash-stepped and grabbed Ikkaku's zanpaktou, which was near the cave Naruto and the others were taking shelter in. Naruto was standing at the entrance, when he saw the Head Captain appear and take Ikkaku's blade. Yamamoto and Naruto locked eyes, before the elder shinigami mouthed the words _'thank you'_ to Naruto. A moment later, he too was sucked up into the air and into the vortex, grabbing Momo's zanpaktou on the way, as he too left the human world. With Momo's blade no longer acting as a conduit, there was an immense explosion of light followed by another massive sonic boom. A few seconds later, the darkness of the sky began to dissipate, returning to the blue it had once been.

After a minute, Naruto with Nel in his arms along with the others tentatively exited the cave and were stunned at what they saw. The entire landscape as far as they could see was stripped away of any vegetation whatsoever. True, it had been a barren land before, but now in less than a minute it was now a desert wasteland. Everyone exhaled a sigh of relief and was grateful that their makeshift shelter had been strong enough to protect them. It was Naruto who finally broke the silence of the moment and openly remarked.

"I hope they made it back home."

"Well, we won't know the answer to that until we pass on from this world." Kakashi commented to his former student.

"Yeah, I know. I guess we should head back to camp before nightfall comes." Naruto solemnly replied

Kakashi nodded his head in agreement, before he and the others began their trek back to the Crimson army encampment.

* * *

Hinata, Ino, and Kurenai were both happy and very relieved to see Naruto and the others arrive back at the camp just as the sun was setting, all of them uninjured and in good health. They were greeted by everyone warmly and Naruto along with the others was glad to be back, but they were also exhausted. Pushing themselves to create their most powerful attacks had physically drained them. So it was no surprise that all they wanted was a good night's sleep. Especially Naruto, as he knew the next morning he would be returning back to the Leaf village. A place he had vowed to himself never to return to just months before.

So the next morning, as the camp broke and everyone prepared to begin their journey to Konoha, Naruto had a devious thought and called all of his shinobi comrades together. Everyone was curious why Naruto had called for this meeting, but even more unnerving was the sly smile he bore upon his face. Kakashi was the one who broke down first and finally asked in curiosity.

"Why did call us here Naruto?"

"Well, I've been thinking about my promise to return to the Leaf village and visit with baa-chan."

"You're not thinking about backing out are you dobe?" Sasuke asked with an edge to his voice, ready to fight if he had to and bring his friend back home.

"Settle down teme, I said I would return voluntarily with you back to Konoha in exchange for your help in defeating Madara and his Akatsuki forces and I will. I just have one small condition I need from all of you, before I do that."

"What condition?" Kakashi questioned, while cocking his lone visible eyebrow, as an ominous chill ran up his spine.

"Don't worry Kakashi-sensei, it's nothing too serious. I just want to play a little prank on baa-chan, that's all and I need all of your help to do that."

"That doesn't sound so bad." Kurenai openly remarked.

Kakashi turned to his kunoichi girlfriend and said in a cautionary tone of voice.

"I wouldn't make that assumption Kure-chan. Have you already forgotten some of the pranks he performed in his youth in the past?"

"What do you want us to do dobe?" Sasuke impatiently questioned in annoyance.

"Actually teme, you don't have to do anything at all." Naruto answered with a mischievous grin, before he began to tell his friends and comrades exactly what he had planned for Tsunade upon their return to the Leaf village.

* * *

It had been stressful for Tsunade the past few days, as she rubbed her temples trying to alleviate the headache she currently had. There still hadn't been any word from Kakashi or Kurenai, if they had been successful in locating all of her wayward shinobi. Even more concerning was the panic that all of the Elemental Nations had been thrown into two days ago when in the middle of the day the sky had gone dark and massive explosions were heard in the atmosphere.

The blonde Hokage had been in communication with all of her counter-parts in then other nations and all of them denied having anything to do with causing what had occurred. And since no one knew what, where, or how it had happened, all the Kage's could do was begrudgingly trust the others that they were telling the truth. Heaving a tired sigh, Tsunade popped two aspirin into her mouth and washed them down with some water, as she leaned back into her chair and closed her eyes. Suddenly, the Leaf village alarm blared to life, signifying that an enemy force was heading towards the village.

Tsunade jumped up from her chair, before a moment later Kotetsu Hagane appeared in Tsunade's office and kneeled before her.

"Kotetsu, why have you and Izumo activated the main alarm?"

"Hokage-sama, one of our long range scouts has reported a small army marching towards the Leaf village. They are a few miles away and should arrive shortly at the main gate. Izumo has already begun evacuating the civilian's near the gate as we speak."

"Who are they and what is their size?"

"Unknown as to whom they are Hokage-sama and as to their size, our scout's estimate was 100-150 people."

Tsunade exhaled a sigh, as she had enough shinobi to deal with an enemy force that size. However, what Kotetsu said next concerned the blonde Hokage greatly.

"Hokage-sama, our scout couldn't identify all of them, but it appears this oncoming force is holding some of our own Leaf village shinobi hostage."

"What! Who are they holding?" Tsunade shouted in alarm.

"Our scout could only confirm two identities ma'am, Jounin Hatake Kakashi, and Jounin Yuuhi Kurenai."

'_Damn!' _Tsunade thought to herself, before she ordered Kotetsu to follow her and she stormed out of her office with fury.

* * *

A short time later, Tsunade stood in front of the main gate of the Leaf village, flanked by several of her top shinobi, along with a couple hundred more standing behind her or manning the high fortified wall that surrounded the village. The blonde Hokage was a picture of calm and confidence, which bolstered all of her shinobi's morale. However, while Tsunade projected such a composed attitude, inside she was feeling very apprehensive. She was not concerned about going into battle; she had done that more times than she cared to remember. No, she was uneasy about the fact that the approaching enemy held shinobi under her command hostage. Because of that, fighting this unknown force was a last resort as the blonde Hokage hoped for a peaceful solution that would free those hostages. Tsunade watched with a keen eye, as man wearing a strange mask rode a horse at the head of the procession of people marching towards the Leaf village.

When the approaching army got to within 100 yards, the man on the horse raised his arm and signaled the army behind him to halt. He then rode about fifty yards forward and stopped, before he called out in a cold metallic echo of a voice.

"**Where is the leader of this village? **

"I am the leader, my name is….." Tsunade called out, as she stepped forward.

"**I know your name; you are Tsunade Senju Godaime Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. You are also known as the Slug Queen and are one of the infamous Sannin of the Elemental nations."**

"You know my name, but you've not introduced yourself!"

"**You will learn who I am soon enough, now if you would be so kind as to come forward and meet me face to face, as I don't feel like shouting across this field!"**

"And why should I approach a potential enemy by myself?"

"**Fine, if it will make you feel better, you may bring along a couple of bodyguards, although I assure you they would be of little help, if I so chose to harm you!"**

Tsunade signaled Might Gai and Anko to accompany her, as they closed the distance between themselves and this strange masked man. Once they got within twenty feet, they stopped and Tsunade was able to get a much closer look at the man atop the horse. What she saw unnerved her a bit, as the mask he bore and the sound of his voice was disconcerting. The blonde Hokage looked behind the man and saw Kakashi, Kurenai, Sasuke, Ino, and Hinata with their hands bound being guarded by several men, including a very big man wielding a large battle-axe. Turning her attention back to the masked man on the horse she asked with authority.

"What are you doing here and why are my shinobi being held prisoner by you?"

"**Your shinobi invaded my camp uninvited, which is why they are being held. As for why I am here, I just thought I would give you the opportunity to purchase them back into your service."**

"So you're holding them for ransom!" Tsunade spat angrily.

"**Calm down Hokage-Tsunade, don't let that famous temper of yours get the better of you. Ransom is such an ugly word, I prefer you look upon this as just a simple business transaction. You give me what I want and I will release your people back into your good graces."**

Tsunade took a moment to calm herself, before she contritely asked.

"So what do you want for the return of my five shinobi?"

"**Five?"** The masked man said in confusion, as he turned around to look behind him, before turning back and said.

"**My apologies Hokage-Tsunade, I was just going to sell you back three of them, the Cyclops, the Ice-Queen, and the one with the hair that looks like a ducks-butt. The blonde fox and the pale-eyed beauty I've decided to keep for myself. Daisuke, remove the two hotties away from the others!"**

Tusnade's blood began to boil, as she saw the large man with the axe pull on rope and lead Ino and Hinata away from the others. The blonde Hokage's killing intent sky-rocketed at seeing this and she had to be restrained by both Gai and Anko, as she shouted with fury.

"If you lay one hand on them I'll kill you! I want all of my shinobi back and I want them now!"

"**Hmmm, well I hate to give up such two luscious beauties, but if you're dead-set about getting all of your people back, then I suppose we could come to some sort of deal, but the price just went up." **

"Name your price and be done with it!"

"**Well, originally I was just going to have you pay me, but since you're being selfish at not letting me keep the hotties and want everyone returned, I think you should have to pay my men too."**

"Whatever, just what do you and your men want?

"**For the return of your shinobi, I want you to pay for me and my men...some Ichiraku Ramen baa-chan."**

The blonde Hokage did a double-take upon hearing this, which left her dazed and confused, as she wasn't sure she heard the man right and stammered in query.

"Wh-what did you say, you, you want what? W-Wait a minute...what did you call me?"

"**You heard me, I want some Ichiraku Ramen for me and my men and what I called you is what I've always called you**...baa-chan, ha, ha, ha!" Naruto replied laughing, as he lifted his mask revealing to Tsunade who he was.

The blonde Hokage nearly fell to the ground and would have if she hadn't been supported by both Gai and Anko, as she stared with an open mouth in bewilderment at the laughing figure on the horse, who remarked while continuing to laugh.

"Oh baa-chan, ha, ha, ha, you should see the look on your face, ha ha ha, it's priceless!"

It took a few seconds, before Tsunade's senses returned to her and she finally realized who she had been talking with, as Naruto turned his head around and said, still laughing.

"You see you guys ha, ha, ha., that wasn't so bad, besides you have to admit this is one of my all-time greatest pranks, ha, ha, ha!"

"Speak for yourself dobe!" Sasuke growled in irritation at the blonde, while rubbing his wrists after the rope that had been binding him was removed by one of the guards.

Tsunade was furious and was ready to throttle Naruto, but was still being restrained by Gai and Anko, before she finally calmed down enough to realize that what she had been wanting, hoping, and praying for these past few months had come true. The safe return of Naruto and her other shinobi and taking a deep breath, she exhaled a sigh of relief and smiled at Naruto, as his laughter died down and said with warmth and love.

"Welcome Home Naruto!"

* * *

**Author Note:** Sadly, this is the last chapter of this story. I could probably bleed the story out for one or two more chapters, but then I would just be writing filler chapters of scenes of minor significance. And you readers deserve more than me just filling up some pages just because I can. There are still a few loose ends in this story, but I believe they can be finished off in a final epilogue chapter.

Now another thing I want to address is that some of you have voiced your displeasure in how I'm handling the aftermath of Kiba's death. I hear what those readers are saying and I respect their opinions, but in my view the following is the absolute truth of the matter.

There is nothing positive that can be gained by revealing the truth about Kiba back at the Hidden Leaf village.

However, there is a lot of negative that could happen if the truth was revealed to everyone such as the following.

1. A potential Leaf clan civil war could erupt costing many innocent lives, if it's revealed that Sasuke and to a lesser extent Ino were shown to have killed Kiba.

2. If the truth about Kiba was made known, it would bring dishonor and disgrace upon the otherwise noble Inuzuka clan. And should an entire clan be judged on just the actions of one individual clan member.

3. The truth about Kiba would also bring additional pain to Kiba's mother and sister, who will already be mourning and in pain over his death. Which no one wants including Hinata, as they all care about Tsume and Hana deeply.

4. Having Kiba portrayed as dying a hero's death, lessens the chances of an investigation going to deep into what happened.

5. Finally, having Ino plant a false memory of Kiba dying a hero's death can give to his mom and sister and all of his former friends and comrades a good memory they can hold onto of how he died. I mean isn't better for them to remember the good he once was, as opposed to the bad he became.

There are probably a few other reasons I could come up with on why telling the truth about Kiba is a very bad idea. This is just one of those circumstances that do exist in life, where revealing the truth about something will cause more harm than do any good.

Anyway, all that aside, I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter. It proved to be a challenging one for me to write. The most problematic issue being to come up with a semi-plausible scenario of how to send the shinigami back to the Soul Society. I also liked the idea that some of the shinobi of the Naruto universe will be used to replenish the ranks of the Gotei 13 squads upon them passing on from the human realm. I think all of us would like to know our fate in advance when our time comes to move on. The other problem I struggled with was with Naruto's farewell speech to his troops. I wanted it to still have a military type feel to it, but also carry an emotional tone within it as well. Hopefully I succeeded in that endeavor, but all of you will be the judge of that.

I do wish to thank everyone both old and new readers who took the time to review my last chapter. You all had a lot to say about it and I'm pleased that this story has such a strong fan base with readers who actually write out well thought-out reviews. Because of that, I enjoy reading many of your reviews, so please leave lots of them, as they do help a writer get a sense of the thoughts and opinions of the fans of a story. They also can help lift the spirits of an author as well. Also, to any readers who are staff members to any C2 communities, please feel free to add my story to your community if you feel it is worthy of it. I won't mind, I swear. I'll even pinkie swear if I need to?

* * *

Thanks to everyone for your support of this story!

Take it easy and be good!

**_Kingkakashi_**


	36. Epilogue

**Do I Have A Purpose Anymore?**

**Epilogue:**

The Village Hidden in the Leaves went into an uproar upon Naruto's return to it. The majority of villagers rejoiced in celebration and cheered loudly, as the lone living legacy of their beloved Yondaime had returned to them. One would of have thought that this recognition that Naruto had fought his entire life to achieve from them would have brought a smile to his face. However, all Naruto could do was scowl, as many of people now cheering for him he recognized as the same people who also tormented and abused him growing up. It disgusted Naruto that the very same people in the village, who used to shun him or do worse, now praised him out simply because of his heritage.

_'Damn hypocrites!'_ Naruto thought bitterly to himself, as he made his way to the Hokage's office.

When they arrived at the office, Tsunade of course wanted a full report of what had happened. However, everyone thought it best to first inform the blonde Hokage of their…...casualties.

Upon learning of Sakura's death, Tsunade openly broke down and wept. Sakura was more than just an apprentice to Tsunade; she was like a surrogate daughter to the blonde Sannin. Seeing as Tsunade was in no emotional state to continue, Naruto promised he would answer any and all of her questions when the woman was ready. Tsunade mourned the loss of Sakura for several days and barely mustered the strength to not breakdown during her funeral service. However, the blonde Hokage was not the only one who was in pain and mourning over the loss of a loved one.

Tsume and Hana Inuzuka, along with the entire clan were also grieving the passing of their son, brother, and future leader of the clan. Tsume was nearly inconsolable upon learning of her only son's death at the hands of Madara Uchiha. Many in the clan feared she would never overcome her agony and grief over Kiba's passing. It was only when Kiba's comrades, who had spent their final days with him came to pay their respects to the woman that she learned he had died a noble death.

Kakashi as the highest ranking Leaf shinobi present during Kiba's death conveyed to the grieving mother that Kiba, as befitting an Inuzuka warrior had a proud shinobi's death in battle,. He explained that they were engaged in battle against Madara Uchiha and his Akatsuki forces in an attempt to free the Land of Spring from their tyranny. During the fight, Madara created a new Shinju tree and was going to use it to destroy the world as revenge for his loss in the Fourth Great Shinobi war.

Tsume's eyes widened in shock upon hearing this, as she did not realize until now how high the stakes of the battle Kiba fought in had been. Kakashi went on to explain that all of them including her son, fought against the elder Uchiha with everything they had to defeat him. In the end, they were able to kill him, but at the heavy cost of both Kiba and Sakura losing their lives in the final battle. Tsume looked around to see the sad and grieving faces of Kiba's friends and comrades, who seemed to silently verify what Kakashi had just told her. However, there was one person who was missing from the group…...Hinata.

When asked why Hinata wasn't present, Kurenai explained that the young Hyuga felt Tsume would not wish to see her and that she understood why. Hinata did not wish to cause any anger or pain with her presence and was waiting outside the Inuzuka compound. Tsume immediately got up and marched out of the room, quickly followed by Kakashi and the others. The Inuzuka clan leader made her way out of the main gate of the compound and spied Hinata sitting on bench. Walking up to the young Hyuga girl, she called out to her.

Hinata was startled when she heard Tsume call out her name and immediately dropped to her knees and bowed in guilt and shame, while also begging tearfully for the woman's forgiveness. Tsume saw this rushed over to Hinata to lift the young girl off the ground and embraced her. The Inuzuka clan leader through her own tears comforted Hinata and told her she had nothing to be forgiven for. That if anyone should be begging for forgiveness it was herself to Hinata.

Tsume with tears streaming down her face apologized profusely to Hinata for her part in forcing the young girl into a marriage with her son. It was no excuse, but she allowed the love she felt for Kiba and in wanting to see him happy blind her to what she was doing Hinata. Tsume let go of Hinata and dropped to her own knees and begged for Hinata's forgiveness not only for forcing upon her a marriage to her son who she knew did not love Kiba the way he loved her. But by doing so had kept Hinata from the one she truly did love in Naruto. Tsume turned on her knees, lowering her body towards Naruto and bowed to him in a show of deference and submission, as she apologized repentantly.

"Naruto I'm truly sorry for what I did to you. I know the part I played in taking Hinata away hurt you terribly and I hate myself for that. You were a caring and loyal friend to my son growing up and I spit upon that friendship and betrayed you most heinously. I let the love I held for my son blind me to the pain I was helping to cause to other people, simply because I wanted to see Kiba-kun happy. I've no right to ask for your forgiveness, because truthfully I don't deserve it. But if you could find it in your heart one day not to hate this stupid foolish old woman for what I did, I would thank Kami for the benevolence you would be granting me on that day, should it ever come."

For his part, Naruto still felt some anger and part of him did not want to forgive Tsume for what she had helped do to both himself and Hinata in the past. However, seeing the broken woman and hearing her anguish -filled voice speak with remorse and regret as to why she did it and apologizing for it. Naruto realized he would never gain any satisfaction by holding onto his anger and resentment against her. The pain and the grief Tsume was now living with and knowing that her actions in the past played a part in the death of her son would haunt the Inuzuka matriarch until her dying day. Taking pity on Tsume, Naruto nodded his head to the grief-stricken woman in a show of kindness and understanding. Hinata felt the same as Naruto and lifted Tsume from the ground and both women hugged one another tightly in comfort and love.

When they broke apart and both Hinata and Tsume wiped their tears from their eyes, the Inuzuka matriarch called out for Akamaru to come to them. A minute later, the large white canine came bounding out of the gate to towards them. The Inuzuka woman patted Akamaru's head, before she turned her attention back to Hinata. She explained that with Kiba's passing, the animal familiar had lost his partner and friend and Tsume knew how much the dog cared for Hinata. So she could think of no one better now for Akamaru to be a friend and protector to than Hinata.

Hinata was taken aback by this and at first refused the offering Tsume was bestowing to her, as she felt she was undeserving of it considering what had happened between herself and Kiba. This caused Akamaru to whimper and whine sadly causing Hinata to kneel down and ask Akamaru if this was what he wanted. A playful happy lick to her face and a bark from the canine answered the Hyuga woman's question. Rising up to her feet, Hinata bowed respectfully to Tsume and accepted the woman's gift, although she still believed she wasn't worthy of it.

The Inuzuka woman merely declared that while Hinata never loved Kiba the way she had hoped one day that she would. She knew that Hinata did love her son as a close friend and comrade and he was very lucky to have been blessed with her in his life. Hinata thanked Tsume for her kind words, before she and Akamaru along with everyone else bid their condolences and farewells to the Inuzuka clan head.

The next day, Tsume sought out the three civilian women Kiba had impregnated the past three years and offered them and their children to be indoctrinated and become official members of the Inuzuka clan. Tsume had decided from her conversation with Tsunade months ago, that indeed the Hokage was correct. The Inuzuka clan tradition mandating that any heir to the clan leadership must come from a union of two shinobi clans was an archaic law and served no purpose anymore. And Tsume had decided it was wrong for such a tradition to cause these three civilian girls to be forced to raise their children, her grandchildren alone and without any help or recognition from the Inuzuka clan. All three women readily agreed and Tsume was soon blessed with two granddaughters and one grandson, who very much reminded her of Kiba at the same age and their presence in her life helped the Inuzuka leader to overcome her grief and mourning at the death of her only son in the coming years.

* * *

A couple of weeks after the memorials of Sakura and Kiba, Tsunade was still grieving for the loss of her apprentice, but the blonde Hokage knew she had several important issues to resolve no matter how dreadful she currently felt. The most pressing and important issue was to convince Naruto to stay and become the Rokudaime Hokage of the Leaf village. So far Naruto had been quick to brush off any such conversations with Tsunade. The blonde Hokage decided to set aside any further discussions for the time being, as she had more a pressing matter to resolve, brought forth by the village council.

Technically, Naruto, Hinata, and Ino were all facing charges of deserting the Leaf village. And the Konoha Council was pressuring Tsunade as to the reason why she had yet to order a mind-sweep from a Yamanaka in the Anbu Interrogation and Torture division to learn the truth about everything. It was a standard operating procedure that any AWOL ninja was required to undergo upon their capture and return to Konoha to make sure they hadn't divulged any village secrets. The Council also wanted those who were ordered to capture and return the three wayward shinobi to also undergo a mind-sweep to confirm everything. Ultimately, Tsunade was forced to capitulate to the Councils wishes and explained that she had no legitimate reason, nor could she show any favoritism by denying their request.

Everyone was expecting this upon their return and hoped that the false memories Ino had implanted in them of what really happened surrounding Kiba and Sakura's deaths would hold against the Yamanaka mind sweeps. Fortunately, Ino had proven herself to be the most skilled and powerful member of the Yamanaka clan next to her father Inoichi, as the false memories she had implanted held up to her fellow clan members scrutiny.

However, Ino and everyone else knew that would prove to be meaningless, if Inoichi didn't react the way they hoped he would when he scanned his daughter. So it was with baited breath and some nervousness that everybody waited for the outcome of Ino's mind sweep. When Inoichi entered the Hokage's office with Ino in tow, he glanced at her fellow conspirators and his brow furrowed into a slight scowl. The Yamanaka clan leader then turned to Tsunade and reported his findings from Ino's scan.

"Lady Tsunade, my mind-sweep of Ino's memories is complete and I can officially verify and confirm that it matches with all the information learned from the other mind-sweeps given to her comrades."

Inoichi wasn't pleased with the position his daughter and the others had placed him in, but he understood their reasons. Kakashi's assessment of the situation if the truth were revealed Inoichi agreed with. A potential Leaf clan civil war could erupt costing many innocent lives, if it was revealed that Sasuke and to a lesser extent Ino were shown to have killed Kiba. Then there was reason that if the truth about Kiba was known, it would cause additional pain to Tsume and the rest of Kiba's family and clan who were already in mourning over his death. The Yamanaka leader felt that an entire clan should not be judged on just the actions of one individual clan member and Inoichi did not see the point of bringing dishonor and disgrace upon the otherwise noble Inuzuka clan by revealing the truth.

Turning to leave, Inoichi eyed Naruto warily and scowled a bit at the young man, before his sight fell upon his daughter standing next to Hinata. The Yamanaka clan leader's face turned red, as Inoichi had made the mistake of scanning Ino's mind a bit further once he had learned of his daughters plot to hide the truth about Kiba to find out if she was attempting to conceal anything else. And much to his mortification, he learned of his princess new relationship with the Hyuga girl. Both Ino and Hinata saw Inoichi turn red, while he gazed at them and they too began to blush, as they suspected what the Yamanaka patriarch had learned about the two of them.

Tsunade was satisfied with the results, as was the Konoha Council when the findings were disclosed to them. It gave Tsume a small sense of comfort and helped to lessen her grief to know that Kiba's honorable death on the battlefield had officially been confirmed. With the matter of the loyalty of their shinobi now concluded, the Council now turned its attention to convincing the living legacy of their beloved Yondaime Hokage to stay and assume the mantle of becoming their next Hokage. Tsunade persuaded the Council to allow her to handle that situation, as any pressure from them might cause Naruto to rebel against it.

* * *

However, before theblonde Hokage could come up with some type of plan or reason for Naruto to stay and become the Rokudaime Hokage. A new crisis arose as the Ei, the Yondaime Raikage of Hidden Cloud Village Kumogakure suddenly arrived with 500 of his strongest shinobi camped a mile outside of the Leaf village. Tsunade immediately marshalled her own ninja and they took up defensive positions to protect the village, while she went out to learn of why the Raikage was there?

When Tsunade and her escorts arrived at the Kumo encampment, she was a bit concerned at this show of force by the Raikage. Kumogakure and Konohagakure had lived in peace with one another since the end of the Fourth Great Shinobi war. The two shinobi villages had even signed a non-aggression treaty with one another and had opened up profitable trade routes between them over the years. The blonde Hokage sincerely hoped that today would not be the day the peace between them would end and that the two villages and their countries would not be plunged back into war.

When Tsunade entered the command tent flanked by her bodyguards Kakashi, Might Gai, and Naruto. They were met by the imposing hulking figure of the Raikage along with three of his most powerful and skilled shinobi. Ei had brought with him his brother and Kumo's own Jinchuuriki Killer Bee, along with the elite Jounin Darui and Samui.

Killer Bee smiled happily at Naruto and in his unique fashion rapped out a greeting to his fellow Jinchuuriki. Naruto returned the warm welcome, before Ei snapped at his brother to shut up, as they were not there to exchange pleasantries. It was then that Tsunade inquired as to why they were there and for the reason why they had brought such sizable force with them?

The Raikage curtly informed Tsunade that they were here to see their long lost friend and comrade Yugito, and as to the reason why he had brought such a force with him. Ei explained it was to dissuade Konoha from harboring any thoughts or desires of preventing Yugito from returning home and keeping her for themselves. This infuriated Tsunade and the blonde Hokage admonished the Raikage severely for thinking they would do such a thing. Especially when it was her who sent the message to inform Ei that Yugito was alive in the first place.

The Raikage felt a twinge of shame upon hearing Tsunade's scolding of him, as since the end of the Fourth Great Shinobi war he had come to respect the Slug Sannin a great deal. Ei swallowed his pride and apologized for his overreaction, but explained when it came to Yugito, both he and his brother considered her like a surrogate sister and someone they had believed to be long dead. To unexpectedly learn that she was indeed alive, but in a rival village, he let his emotions rule his decision to bring a shinobi force with him, rather than making a rational decision.

Tsunade hearing the contrite and sincere tone of Ei's voice, accepted his apology and offered to escort the Raikage and Killer Bee to see Yugito, which Ei quickly agreed to. A short time later, the Raikage and Killer Bee were reunited Yugito, who leapt up and tearfully hugged both men in happiness. Tsunade offered guest accommodations to Ei and Bee and left the three Kumo shinobi alone to catch up with one another.

* * *

The next day, the Raikage and Tsunade held a private meeting between them in her office. Ei thanked the blonde Hokage for taking care of Yugito, but also expressed that there was a serious problem the two Kage's needed to deal with. That problem being that Yugito did not wish to return to Kumogakure. And when Ei pressed as to why she did not wish to return to her home, Yugito had hesitantly indicated that she had fallen in love with someone from the Leaf village and didn't want leave him. Tsunade suspected who the man was that Yugito was referring to, but went ahead and asked the Raikage whom he was speaking of. However, Ei stated that Yugito had refused to divulge his identity.

Tsunade still kept her suspicions of that identity to herself for the time being, but inwardly groused at how many problems she had to deal with now upon Naruto's return. The blonde Hokage politely informed Ei that Yugito was welcome to stay in Konoha if she so chooses. However, the Raikage indicated that would not be possible. The Kumogakure Council would not allow one of their Jinchuuriki to reside in another village, especially Konoha, as it would give the Leaf village access to having two Jinchuuriki available to them. Ei also grimly conveyed to Tsunade that the Kumo Council was resolute in their decision that Yugito be returned and would call for the breaking of their treaty and going to war against Konoha for the return of their Jinchuuriki, if you tried to prevent it.

The blonde Hokage could not believe that the Kumogakure Council would go to such lengths, as to actually go to war over this, but the more she thought about it, she began to understand their thinking, foolish at it was. The Fire and Lightning Countries had only been allies for a few years since the end of the Fourth Great Shinobi war. Before that there had existed over a century's worth of hostility between the two nations and their shinobi villages, so there was a lot of caution and mistrust that many people of the older generations of both sides still held onto. The blonde Hokage surmised that Kumo Council was probably fearful that if Yugito wasn't returned to them. Then Konoha could unleash the power of two Jinchuuriki's upon their country if they wanted to in the future. At that moment, Tsunade realized she somehow needed to strengthen the ties and trust between the two nations and villages, but was currently at a loss of how to do that?

Tsunade asked what exactly was it that Ei wanted for her to do, to which he simply replied.

"Do nothing Hokage-Tsunade."

The Raikage went on to explain that he would soon be returning to Kumogakure with Yugito whether she wanted to go or not. And so long as Konoha made no moves to prevent this, then their countries and villages could continue to live in the peace and prosperity they had enjoyed the past few years. Tsunade angrily fired back that what the Raikge was doing to Yugito was tantamount to imprisoning her. Did he not know of her imprisonment the past seven years at the hands of the Akatsuki and what they did to her? Now she has a chance at happiness and he was going to deny her that by forcibly taking her back to Kumogakure. Tsunade then asked Ei what makes what he's doing any different than the Akatsuki?

The Raikage furiously shouted in defense that indeed he did know of what happened to Yugito. He also stated that he also knew that what he was doing was taking her from one prison to another albeit a more pleasant one. Ei declared that if it was up to him, he would allow Yugito to stay and live a happy life with the man she loves, but it wasn't up to him. And he did not want to risk the possibility of another shinobi war erupting if she wasn't returned to Kumogakure. The Raikage then bluntly asked if Tsunade was willing to risk another war starting by not allowing him to take Yugito back.

Taking a moment to calm down, Tsunade deeply contemplated what Ei had just said. After a minute, she leaned back into her chair and exhaled a defeated sigh. The blonde Hokage realized that Ei was right, she could not or more precisely would not allow Konoha to be plunged into another shinobi war. If that were to happen, the other elemental nations would be forced into it as well and thousands upon thousands of lives would be needlessly lost. As much as Tsunade hated to do it, she was forced to agree with Ei and would take no action against him returning back to Kumogakure with Yugito. In the end it simply came down to the greater good for both nations and village's, but the blonde Hokage knew of a certain nine-tailed Jinchuuriki who would have a hard time understanding and accepting it.

* * *

To say Naruto was furious was an understatement, as he marched angrily towards the Hokage's office. Both Ino and Hinata followed close behind trying to get him to calm down before he saw Tsunade. This however was proving difficult to do, as the tearful face of Yugito was firmly entrenched within his mind. Naruto, Hinata, and Ino had arrived to ask Yugito out to breakfast with them, when they learned of Ei's and Tsunade's meeting the day before and the results of it. To her credit even though it broke her heart, Yugito understood why she had to return to Kumogakure, but that still didn't make it any less painful to know she was being forced to give up the man she loved and the friends she had made. Unfortunately, Naruto was not as understanding, hence his march to see Tsunade and let her know of his displeasure of what was being done to one of his precious people.

So it was of little surprise to Tsunade when Naruto came barging into her office and demanding that Yugito be allowed to stay in the Leaf village if she wanted to. Both Kakashi and Kurenai who had been having a meeting with the Hokage looked at one another in confusion, as they wondered what Naruto was talking about. For her part, Tsunade merely pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration, as she knew this was going to be a difficult conversation with Naruto. Looking up at the angered visage Naruto bore upon his face, Tsunade exhaled a sigh, before she began to explain the situation and the ramifications of what would happen if they tried to stop the Raikage returning to Kumo with Yugito.

After a few minutes, Naruto remained unconvinced and argued that Yugito should be allowed to make her own decisions. Tsunade agreed that Yugito should be allowed to make her own decisions, but her village is not giving her any options other than to return and she knows this. The blonde Hokage also went on to explain that as much as she sympathizes with Yugito's plight, as Hokage she would not risk sending Konoha into another shinobi war over it.

"Then make me Hokage!" Naruto angrily declared.

Tsunade actually chuckled after hearing this, as for the past few weeks Naruto had refused to even discuss any possibility of him taking the mantle of the Rokudaime Hokage. All he would agree to was staying in Konoha until Hinata gave birth to their baby, as Naruto wanted the best medical treatment and facilities in all the elemental nations available for Hinata during her pregnancy. Now that Naruto was suddenly ready to assume the position of Hokage, Tsunade knew she couldn't relinquish her title to him, not with the way he was acting and asked with a hint of derision.

"And what would your first act be as the Rokudaime Hokage?"

When Naruto answered he would stop Yugito from leaving, Tsunade threw her hands up in the air and shouted that's why she couldn't name Naruto as the next Hokage right now, because he wasn't thinking with his head, but with his heart. And that a Hokage needed to base any and every decision they make for the protection and safety of the village and its citizens. And right now if Naruto were Hokage he would be making a decision for purely selfish reasons and in doing so would plunge the Leaf village into a pointless war.

As Naruto and Tsunade continued to argue back and forth, the tension in the room began to rise, as Hinata, Ino, Kurenai, and Kakashi looked on with concern. As they watched the verbal exchange between to Tsunade and Naruto become more and more heated, Ino began to feel lightheaded. Suddenly, she began to waver on her feet, as the stress of the situation was starting to overwhelm her. Before Ino collapsed, she was caught by Hinata who lowered her friend gently to the floor, as she cried out in distress.

"Ino-chan, what's wrong, are you alright?"

Hinata's shout alerted Naruto and Tsunade and they ceased their bickering, before they both rushed over to where Ino lay. As her hands glowed with green chakra, Tsunade began to scan Ino's vitals, as everyone looked on with concern. A couple of minutes later, Tsunade deactivated her chakra and with Naruto helped the Yamanaka girl to her feet, while everyone anxiously waited for her diagnosis.

"You're fine Ino, your blood pressure was elevated, which is probably what caused you to feel dizzy, but it's coming back down now. However, as a doctor I must recommend that you try to avoid any stressful situations due to your condition."

"Con-condition, what condition Lady Tsunade?" Ino stammered in confusion.

"You're pregnant." The blonde Hokage announced loudly to everyone present.

Ino's eyes grew wide in astonishment and her hands instinctively rose up to touch her stomach. Everyone was momentarily stunned at the news and a smile spread across Ino's face, before it quickly disappeared, as she wondered with trepidation what Naruto's reaction would be. The Yamanaka girl hesitantly lifted her head to gaze at Naruto's now impassive face. As they stared into the eyes of one another, Ino began to worry, as Naruto remained silent and unmoving. However, her fears were put to rest, when she felt Naruto lovingly cup her cheek with his hand and smile at her.

As Naruto cupped Ino's cheek, he jokingly wondered to himself why he wasn't upset or filled with apprehension upon learning he was fathering a second child, but for some reason he wasn't. In fact, Naruto never felt more calm and relaxed than he did at that moment. It suddenly came to him in an epiphany what his life was going to be like in the future and what he saw he liked. And that life didn't include raising a family, while living a vagabond existence.

Turning around, Naruto proudly announced to everyone that he was going to be a father again. It took a moment, but seeing and hearing how calm and happy Naruto appeared to be put everybody in the room at ease and congratulations began to flow towards the blonde couple. After the compliments began to die down, Naruto turned to Tsunade and asked her to set-up a meeting with the Raikage and Yugito, as he had thought of a way to let her stay in Konoha without it causing a war. Naruto then wrapped his arms around both Ino and Hinata and said they needed to go see Ino's parents and deliver the news.

* * *

The next day, Naruto headed towards the Hokage's office for his meeting with the Raikage and Yugito. He heaved a weary sigh while he walked, as the last 24 hours had been tiring to the blonde Jounin. Needless to say when Naruto and Ino let her parents know of their daughter's condition, it had been a bit of a stressful meeting. Fortunately, both Naruto and Ino were able to convince the two concerned parents of their love for one another. Of course it didn't hurt in convincing them when Naruto informed them that he was going to accept the position of Rokudaime Hokage making Ino along with Hinata the First Ladies of Leaf village, when they were married. After that both Inoichi and his wife gave their blessings to the three and were excited at the prospect of becoming grandparents. So Naruto silently prayed to Kami that his meeting with the Raikage would go as well as it did with his future Yamanaka in-laws.

When Naruto arrived at Tsunade's office, he found the Raikage had already arrived along with both Yugito and Killer Bee. Closing and locking the door behind him, as Tsunade activated the silencing seals of the room, he cordially greeted everyone. Pulling up a chair to sit next to the Raikage and Yugito, Naruto leaned back in a relaxed state, before Ei asked him the reason behind this meeting. Naruto smiled warmly at the Raikage and announced he had a way to allow Yugito to stay in Konoha that would be satisfactory with the Kumogakure Council and not cause the two villages to go to war.

Yugito's sad face suddenly lit up with hope and both the Raikage and Killer Bee interests were piqued at this declaration from Naruto. Even Tsunade was curious as to how Naruto was going to pull this off and leaned back in her chair and waited for him to explain.

Naruto asked the Raikage to confirm what the Hokage had told him that that if it was up to him, he would allow Yugito to stay and live a happy life with the man she loves. Ei did confirm this and it was then Naruto informed him that the man Yugito loved was in fact him and that he in turn loved her. The Raikage leapt up from his chair angrily, before he felt Yugito's hand on his arm and he looked down to her face pleading with him to stay his hand. Reluctantly, Ei began to calm down and sat back down, before he growled out for Naruto to continue.

In a calm and confident voice, Naruto stated that in an effort to strengthen the ties and trust between the two nations and villages, he proposed a political marriage commence between himself and Yugito to achieve this. Yugito's eyes grew wide in surprise, while the Raikage deeply contemplated what Naruto had just said. Even Killer Bee who not known as a deep thinker, pondered with interest at what his fellow Jinchuuriki had just suggested.

Tsunade was both shocked and suitably impressed that Naruto had discerned the main problem between the two villages. That the long standing animosity between the two nations and their shinobi villages, before they became allies hadn't just disappeared with the signing of their mutual treaty. And that many people of the older generations on both sides still held mistrust of the other. The blonde Hokage was amazed that Naruto had been able to come up with an idea, which was more than she was able to do to help build more trust between their villages and countries. However, Tsunade shook her head sadly; as she didn't believe what Naruto proposed would achieve what he thought it would.

The Raikage seemed to confirm the Hokage's silent assessment of Naruto's plan and after a minute stated in a pessimistic tone of voice.

"It's a bold proposal, but I'm afraid it wouldn't work. The marriage between two Jounin from our respective villages would be beneficial and help to strengthen the ties and trust between us. However, such a relationship would not be enough to appease the Kumogakure Council from their position that Yugito must return to the Lightning village. Unless of course you're suggesting that you would be coming with her, but I highly doubt your own Council would allow that to take place, just as our own won't allow Yugito to stay here. Perhaps if you were from a prominent clan or held a higher position within the Konoha government, it could persuade the Kumogakure Council in allowing Yugito to stay, but as the things are I'm afraid your plan won't work."

"Then it's good that I meet both of the criteria you just mentioned." Naruto declared with certainty.

Ei, Yugito, and Killer Bee all looked at Naruto with confusion, before the blonde Leaf shinobi continued on. Naruto went on to explain that he is the last living legacy of the Namikaze clan and the only son of the Yondaime Hokage of the Leaf village. So he meets the first condition the Raikage had mentioned of being from a prominent clan. As for the second condition of holding a higher position within the Konoha government, it will soon be announced by Hokage-Tsunade that she is retiring and is naming him as the Rokudaime Hokage of the Village Hidden I the Leaves."

The Raikage turned his head to stare at Tsunade, who nodded her head confirming what Naruto had just stated to be the truth, before he then asked.

"So answer me this Raikage-sama, when informed of what I have just told you. Would you be able to convince the Kumogakure Council to be comfortable and secure enough to allow Yugito-chan to stay if she married to the Rokudaime Hokage of the Leaf village and be recognized in all of the elemental nations as one of the First Ladies of Konohagakure?"

It took a moment for the Raikage to process everything and he leaned back into his chair and stroked his beard with his hand in deep thought. The Kumo Council's fear that if Yugito wasn't returned to them then Konoha could unleash the power of two Jinchuuriki's upon them in the future now appeared foolish, as the wife of the Leaf village Hokage isn't going to allow her husband to attack her homeland. Which Ei already knew was never a possibility, not after fighting side-by-side with Naruto against Madara during the Fourth Great Shinobi war. He knew the young man to be one of the most honest and honorable men he had ever met in his entire life. So after running all the positive aspects and the few if any negative ones of Naruto's proposition through his mind. Ei turned to Naruto and said given what he had just learned, he believed he could convince the Kumogakure Council to allow the marriage and Yugito to stay and live in Konoha by his side. However the Raikage wanted to know what Naruto meant by referring to Yugito as one of the First Ladies of Konohagakure?

The blonde Jounin explained that though the Konoha Council hadn't made an official proposal yet. He suspected that due to him being the last living Namikaze they were going to enact the Clan Restoration Act or C.R.A. upon him to rebuild his noble clan. Naruto stated that he would accept the C.R.A. plan from the Konoha Council and be taking two additional wives along with Yugito-chan. The Raikage bristled at this and wondered aloud if Naruto had bothered to discuss these additional wives with Yugito? Naruto replied that he had not, but he didn't think it would be a problem for Yugito-chan, as Hinata-chan and Ino-chan were close friends with her and all of them would all share equal status amongst themselves.

Ei turned to look at Yugito and silently ask if what Naruto said was accurate. A nod of the Kumo kunoichi's head indicated that indeed it was accurate and the smile she sported seemed to indicate she had no problem sharing Naruto, at least not with the two women he had mentioned. Turning towards his brother to get his opinion on everything, Ei slapped his forehead in embarrassment, as Killer Bee enthusiastically began to rap about Naruto being a brother from another mother and that he and Yugito had his blessing for their marriage.

After Bee finally finished his badly rhymed ballad about Naruto and Yugito, the Raikage turned his attention to Tsunade and announced that he would spend a couple of more days in the Leaf village visiting with Yugito, before he and his men returned to Kumogakure. He stated he would return, as soon as the wedding date was announced, which he hoped would be soon. Naruto asked if he could spend some time right now with Yugito, as they had much to discuss. Ei agreed that indeed they did have much to talk about and bid goodbye to Tsunade, before he hugged Yugito followed by his brother who did the same, as they exited the office. Naruto and Yugito also bid good day to the blonde Hokage, before the two of them left hand in hand to meet up with Hinata and Ino and have a much needed conversation about many things between the four of them.

* * *

A few weeks later, the Leaf village was in a celebratory and festive mood, as the only son of their revered Yondaime Hokage was about to get married. Even more exciting it was announced by the Konoha Council that the C.R.A. had been enacted for Naruto and he was marrying not one, but three beautiful women to help restore the noble Namikaze clan. It was also announced that Tsunade Senju the Godaime Hokage of the Leaf village was retiring and that Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze was named as her successor to become the Rokudaime Hokage. The villagers rejoiced at this news, as many of them believed an era of the second coming of the Golden Flash was now upon them.

The wedding itself was a lavish affair, as all the Kage's from other four elemental nations attended the marriage ceremony. There were also leaders from smaller nations such as Princess Kazahana Koyuki of the Land of spring and Tazuna and his family from the Land of Waves who also came to the wedding and were special guests of Naruto.

The extravagant wedding ceremony had proceeded flawlessly and those who knew Naruto personally were suitably impressed by Naruto's newfound calm and mature attitude during it. And everyone was awestruck at how beautiful Hinata, Ino, and Yugito looked in some of the finest silk wedding kimono's that had ever been created. The reception was no less spectacular than the wedding, as many of the family, friends, and colleagues of the married quartet began making speeches honoring the brides and groom. Many of the speeches from the foreign and older guests that had been invited to the wedding, consisted of a moralistic tale or singing the praises of the significance of marriage to Naruto, Hinata, Ino, and Yugito. While those people who truly had a personal relationship with one or all of them gave more heartfelt blessings, funny, or slightly embarrassing stories about them.

The wedding reception was joyous event, which lasted for several hours before it finally came to a close, as Naruto, Hinata, Ino, and Yugito finished their speech thanking all of the guests who had attended. The four them gave their warm and sincere goodbyes to everyone, before they left to spend their first night as married couples. Naruto knowing and having the high chakra capacity to maintain for long periods of time the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique) certainly came in handy for the new Hokage, as he was able to give equal…. attention at the same time to all three of his wives.

A week later, Naruto gave his first official speech to the villagers. It was a rousing and inspirational oration, which focused on and stressed the importance of him learning leadership skills while at the Academy, and how his experiences as a shinobi and in life had prepared him to assume the mantle of being the Leaf village's Rokudaime Hokage. And while Naruto conveyed that he had learned much, he also admitted he had much more to learn to be the exceptional leader the Leaf village needed for the future. It was at this point that Naruto shrewdly took his revenge against Tsunade. The new Hokage announced to the village that he would lean heavily upon the experiences and counsel of the former Godaime Hokage Tsunade Senju to act as his Chief advisor to the Hokage within the Konoha Council.

The villagers erupted in joyous approval of this, while the former Hokage who sat at a table next to the podium where Naruto spoke from began to grind her teeth in fury. Any lingering doubts she might have harbored about whether or not Naruto could handle the position of Rokudaime Hokage quickly vanished, seeing how cunningly he had maneuvered her out of retirement in just a matter of minutes, as she forced a smile to her face and waved to the cheering crowd before her. Tsunade had been looking forward to living a retired life of nothing but drinking and gambling in her old age. However, in one fell and devious swoop from Naruto, she had been dragged back into public service once again. As Naruto finished his speech to the approval and applause of the village, he shot a quick smirk at Tsunade, who glared fiercely at him as he left the stage.

The next day, Naruto sat in the Hokage's office with Tsunade, who after 24 hours had finally calmed down enough to at least act civil towards him. The first official task Naruto needed to do as Hokage was to figure out what to do with the 100 Crimson Army soldiers who accompanied him back to Konoha and had pledged their loyalty to serve him. Sasuke had been kind enough house the men temporarily at the Uchiha compound, but that didn't solve the problem of providing them with a function. And since Naruto knew they were only loyal to him and not the village, he came upon a unique idea.

Naruto decided he would make the Crimson Army soldiers his Royal Guard tasked solely with the purpose of protecting him and following his orders as Hokage alone. It took a bit of convincing, but ultimately the Konoha Council did approve of Naruto's proposal for the men. That proved to be very beneficial for the village in the coming years, as Naruto's guard became quite infamous throughout all of the elemental nations.

Their prowess and ferociousness in battle was unmatched and they soon garnered the nickname Naruto's Berserkers. The men led by General Daisuke were so single-minded and fiercely loyal to Naruto that it was said you could hack the arm off of one of men in battle, but he would continue to fight with such savagery until his opponent was dead or he was. Over the years their reputation had become so legendary throughout the world of their bloodthirsty ferocity on the battlefield. That when Naruto arrived with them to aid Gaara, whose village was being attacked by a marauding army from the west. The opposing soldiers even though they stilled outnumbered Gaara and Naruto's forces by a 4-1 margin, actually turned tail and retreated back to their homeland rather than face Naruto and his berserker's. In Konoha, the position as one of Naruto's honored guardsmen soon became a much desired and exalted title that many children growing up in the village during Naruto's reign dreamed of becoming.

The next major task Naruto had to deal with was to find a replacement for the Strategic Commander of Konoha's shinobi forces Shikaku Nara who was retiring. Naruto listened to Tsunade's and Shikaku's recommendations and carefully deliberated over each potential candidate. However, after several hours of consideration, Naruto rejected all of the suggested replacements. He agreed with Tsunade and Shikaku that all of them had exemplary military records and experience, but felt none of them could match the intelligence and strategic thinking Shikaku possessed to protect the Leaf village in the future. Naruto concluded there was only one person qualified to replace Shikaku and when they asked who Naruto had in mind, they both nearly fell out of their chairs when they heard the name.

An hour later, Shikamaru Nara hesitantly knocked on the door of the Hokage's office and was told to enter. Gulping nervously, the Nara heir slowly opened the door and walked inside. He saw Naruto sitting behind the Hokage's desk looking over some documents, while wearing the traditional straw hat that all previous Kage's had worn. Tsunade was sitting at a table next to his father to the side of the desk and both were quietly drinking a cup of tea. Shikamaru gulped again with apprehension at seeing Naruto, as he had done his very best to avoid the blonde shinobi since his return.

It's true they had been close friends growing up, but Shikamaru knew he had destroyed that friendship, when he betrayed not only Naruto but Ino as well, by his manipulations in taking her away from him over two years ago for himself. At the time he honestly thought he was in love with Ino and hoped that she would come to love him the same way, but she never did. Eventually, Shikamaru came to terms and accepted that Ino's heart belonged to another….Naruto.

Shikamaru hoped that the day he broke up with Ino and told her to follow her heart that the guilt he felt over what he had done would go away. Unfortunately, it never did and it ate away at him like a disease knowing he had hurt his friend so callously. Shikamaru was genuinely happy that both Naruto and Ino had found one another again, but that did nothing assuage the shame he felt over what he had done to both of them. Dropping his head slightly, he called out to his Hokage in a remorseful tone of voice.

"You wished to see me Hokage-sama."

"Ahh Shikamaru, yes I did."

Naruto then got up from behind his desk and walked around until he stood in front of Shikamaru. The Nara heir looked up to gaze at Naruto's face, when he was suddenly propelled backwards with tremendous force by Naruto's punch, before crashing into the wall behind him and sliding down to the floor. Shaking his head and rubbing his jaw, Shikamaru slowly rose to his feet and openly declared.

"I deserved that."

"You deserve a lot more, but I'm going to settle for that!" Naruto fired back gruffly, before he walked back to his chair and sat down again, as Shikamaru shuffled forward until he was standing in front of the Hokage's desk.

Naruto went on to explain that Shikaku was retiring as Strategic Commander of Konoha's shinobi forces and that he had chosen him to replace his father. Needless to say Shikamaru was stunned by this and attempted to plead that there were many veteran shinobi with exemplary military records and experience, more worthy than him to hold such a lofty and crucial rank within Konoha's shinobi forces. Naruto countered that might be true, but that none of them had the intelligence and strategic thinking both him and his father possess to protect the Leaf village in the future. Shikamaru was about to protest further, before Naruto held up his hand and stated that both Lady Tsunade and Shikaku had approved of his decision. Naruto's next words sealed the deal for Shikamaru to accept the position.

"Your Hokage has need of your talents, skills, and intelligence to serve me and the Leaf village and considering your past…..transgressions, I would think you would appreciate and want the opportunity to atone for yourself."

Naruto's words hit hard, but Shikamaru realized he was right and actually did begin to appreciate the opportunity he was being given. He sincerely hoped that by loyally serving his Hokage, perhaps one day it could lead to Naruto forgiving him and maybe allow him to forgive himself as well. Rising up to stand at attention, Shikamaru declared in a strong and unwavering voice.

"I accept the position and will serve you faithfully in whatever you require of me Hokage-sama."

Naruto rose up from his chair and smiled, before he extended his arm and he and Shikamaru shook hands.

* * *

Two years later, Naruto stood off to the side and gazed out into the great banquet hall, which was currently occupied by several people celebrating the wedding of Shikamaru Nara to Temari no Sabaku of the Sand village. Naruto chuckled to himself, as Shikamaru had always remarked that he prayed to Kami that the women he would marry would not be troublesome. Well with Temari not only being the sister of Gaara the Kazekage of Sunagakure, but also with her fiery temperament and stubbornness, Naruto couldn't think of a more troublesome woman for the Nara heir.

Naruto looked around the room and spied Kurenai scolding Kakashi for bringing out and reading Icha Icha Paradise book at the reception. The blonde Hokage chuckled at the horrified look on Kakashi's face, as he watched his wife tear the book in half and throw it into a trashcan. Naruto figured Kakashi would have put up more of a fight to save his precious book, but Kurenai being six months pregnant with raging hormones. The silver-haired Jounin knew any protest would be a losing battle in more ways than just the loss of his book, so he took the prudent course of action and remained silent.

Naruto then turned to see Sasuke doting over his own pregnant wife in the former shingami Momo. It was actually funny to see the normally stoic and reserved Uchiha waiting beck and call on his wife, but when he had learned that he was to become a father, it changed Sasuke for the better. The Uchiha was now more outgoing and friendly with everyone. This proved to be very useful when Naruto reinstituted the Konoha Police force and named Sasuke as its Chief. Sasuke's new amiable personality helped immensely whenever he had to deal with any problems or conflicts which arose within the general populace of the villagers.

A roar of uproarious laughter caught Naruto's attention, as he turned to see sitting at a table smiling and laughing Chouji Akimichi and Ayame Ichiraku along with Hana Inuzuka and her surprising boyfriend Rock Lee. Chouji and Ayame had just recently announced their own engagement a few weeks earlier and everyone thought it was a perfect match, given each of their loves of food and cooking. Meanwhile, the entire village was shocked when Hana and Rock Lee began a relationship six months ago and few people gave little hope of it surviving considering the vast difference of personalities between the two. However, both Hana and Lee had proved everyone wrong and were a very happy and contented couple, as Hana's more reserved personality helped to curb Lee's more boisterous one at times, while his personality got the Inuzuka heiress to become more open and sociable around people outside of her clan.

Naruto then looked around to see his wife Yugito standing with Ei and Killer Bee, as the Raikage held his one year old daughter in his arms. Ei was never known to smile that much, but he was grinning from ear to ear, as he bounced his niece up and down in his powerful arms. Killer Bee was singing a nursery rhyme rap to the infant causing the girl squeal and giggle in delight at all the attention she was receiving.

The blonde Hokage then spied another of his wives Ino visiting with her parents holding Naruto's son in her arms. Both grandparents were lavishing affections on their grandson by tickling the young boy, who laughed and squirmed in delight at this action. The young child looked like a miniature version of his father with the blonde hair and blue eyes he inherited from both of his parents.

Naruto then turned to see a smiling Hinata sitting at a table with Tsunade, Neji and Tenten. The former Godaime Hokage was currently playing a game of peek-a-boo with Naruto's daughter who was the spitting image of her mother with indigo-colored hair and the famous Hyuga eyes. Meanwhile Neji was bouncing the young girl's twin brother on his knee, while Tenten had Nelliel on her lap and was tickling the young green-haired girl who was giggling hysterically. Neji and Tenten had finally gotten a married a few months ago and were quite happy together. However, as Naruto observed the two of them together with his own children, he had no doubt they would be starting their own family very soon.

Out of the corner of his eye, Naruto spotted Hiashi Hyuga sitting alone at a table in a far corner of the banquet hall staring at the table Hinata sat at. His gaze momentarily turned to look out onto the dance floor and following the Hyuga's line of sight Naruto saw Hanabi and Konohamaru in a loving embrace and dancing slowly to a song being played by the musicians present. The Hyuga clan leader turned his head back and seemed to stare into space, as the expressionless face he bore gave no indication of what if any emotions the man was feeling. Naruto almost felt sorry for the man….almost. As Hiashi's quest for money, status, and political power and influence for his clan had come at a heavy cost. And the price Hiashi had paid was total estrangement from his daughters and their families.

And while Hiashi had been successful in gaining money and status for his clan, as soon as Naruto took office as the Rokudaime Hokage, any political influence the Hyuga leader once wielded had officially ended, as far as Naruto was concerned. Naruto remembered the day Hiashi strolled into his office unannounced and sat down, while handing a Naruto a series of proposals he wanted enacted by the new Hokage. Apparently, the Hyuga clan head assumed that when Naruto married Hinata, it would give him carte-blanche to push through and get approval on anything he wanted. As Naruto quickly looked at the proposals he had just been handed, one could easily see that what Hiashi wanted would greatly benefit the Hyuga clan, but no one else. Naruto shook his head in disgust, as he remembered the shocked look that appeared on Hiashi's face when he threw the proposals back at Hiashi and shouted.

"You scheming loathsome piece of shit of an old man! You think you can just stroll into my office and demand that I do anything for you or your clan. I know the truth of what you did to my Hinata-hime. Selling her off to Kiba and the Inuzuka clan like a piece of meat, all in an effort to gain money and influence within the Konoha Council for yourself and your clan. And then when that didn't work out, you cast your daughter out onto the street like a piece of trash, officially disowning her!"

Naruto inhaled and exhaled a deep breath, before he continued with fury.

"Now you have the gall and audacity to come marching in here believing I'm just going to bend over and gratefully accept and approve anything you want. All because your daughter who you considered weak and worthless her entire life now finds herself married to the reigning Hokage. So you think that will allow you get anything you want from me. Well let me tell you Hiashi Hyuga, after everything you've done, that's never going to happen…ever! Because if it were up to me, you would not be walking out of this room alive. And the only reason that you will is because I know Hinata-chan still loves and cares about you and your death, especially by my hand would cause her great pain. So while I can't or more precisely won't kill you for her sake, I can tell you what I will do."

A wicked smile spread across Naruto's face, which sent a shiver up Hiashi's spine.

"What I will do is never enact or pass any proposal or amendment brought forth by the Hyuga clan now or in the future, while you are its leader. The days of the Hyuga clan wielding any power within the Konoha government has ended. I have not only the support of the Shinobi side of the Council, but also the Civilian side of it. So the only proposals and amendments that will get passed are those that I approve and no others. So if you want the Hyuga clan to ever have any say within the Konoha Council again in the future, I suggest you step down as its leader and name Neji as the new clan head. Because that is the only way I will ever consider anything brought forth by the Hyuga clan to me!"

Hiashi's face turned ashen in color after hearing Naruto and he sputtered to try and find the words he wanted to say to turn this situation he was now facing around. However, before he could say anything, his new Hokage shouted out.

"Anbu, escort this…...person out of my office and never let him into it again!"

Two Anbu suddenly appeared around Hiashi and bade the man to get up and leave lest they be forced to remove him themselves. The Hyuga clan leader exhaled a defeated sigh, before he rose from his chair and gathering up as much pride as he could walked out of the Hokage's office for the last time.

Naruto was broken from his memory, when he felt a tugging on his pant leg and looked to see Nelliel standing there with her arms outstretched indicating she wanted her father to lift her up. The blonde Jinchuuriki smiled at the little girl and gathered her up in his arms. Nel closed her eyes and rested her head on Narutos' shoulder, while he continued to gaze out into the room.

Naruto reminisced about the state of his life nearly three years ago and what he envisioned it was going to be. Thinking about that Naruto chuckled, as where his life was, he never would imagined the state it was in now. Back then all he wanted was to get away from Konoha and live in solitude, relying on no one but himself, and have no one relying on him, forever living alone. Now a few years later, Naruto found himself living his childhood dream of being Hokage and was far from being alone, not with three wives and five children to take care of.

And truth be told he couldn't be happier about the way things had turned out.

Naruto had found his purpose and while many would guess that purpose was becoming the Rokudaime Hokage, they would be wrong. Nearly three years ago, Naruto had once posed the question to himself of _Do I Have a Purpose Anymore?_

Three years later, Naruto had found the answer to that question. Yes, he did have a purpose and what Naruto decided was his purpose, as he gazed at all the people he considered precious in his life was to love and protect all of them with all the strength, skills, and power that he could wield to do so. And the blonde Jinchuuriki thought as far as having a purpose in life.

That one wasn't a bad one to have.

* * *

**Author Note:** Well here is the official end of this story, but I do discuss the possibility of a sequel further down in this note. I hope this finale and glimpse into what happened after Naruto's return to the village met with everyone's approval. I'm very pleased I was able to end this story and not leave it as one of the many thousands of others that are incomplete on this site never to be finished. That being said there are some special thanks I need to give to the following writers who were kind and gracious enough to help me out to complete this tale.

I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Serious Sam, Kyuubi123, Narutoenthusiast, and brown phantom for their amazing contributions in writing some of the battles scenes during the War vs. The Akatsuki arc of the story. I can honestly say if they hadn't been cool enough to help me out, it might have taken me another year if ever to finish this story. My heartfelt thanks goes out to all of them, as they are talented writers in their own right with their own writing projects. Which if you haven't checked out their incredible stories yet, I urge you to do so.

Now, many of my readers have expressed a desire to see a sequel written to this story. I'll be upfront and honest with all of you about that. While yes I do agree a sequel to this story could prove to be very entertaining and successful. Right now, I just don't have the fire and desire to write one and I'm not sure when if ever I might? A little over a year ago I was trying to stay on top of and write three ongoing stories and it damn near killed me from the stress. What I mean is one of the most difficult things I've ever done when it comes to writing is trying to maintain three ongoing stories at the same time. I never got any time to just relax a bit and enjoy a chapter update I posted, as I knew I had to write and get another one out for one of the other stories asap. So right now, I just want to concentrate for a while with my first story Aftermath. I have to tell you, it's a relief to just have to work on only one story now, as trying to write multiple ones at the same time was exhausting.

Now that's the bad news about a potential sequel, but I do have some good news. I am not opposed to another author wishing to write a sequel based off my story. I think the most logical course for a sequel would be a story based on Naruto and the gang becoming Shingami of the Gotei 13 squads in the Bleach world. In fact I would even be willing to write the initial prologue chapter starting things off for the sequel. Now if an author is interested in taking up the task of writing the sequel, I only have a few criteria that I prefer he or she has, before I sign off on it.

1. I prefer an experienced writer. One who has already written successful stories of their own with the readers, as that will give me examples of how good a writer they are. Of note, if Serious Sam, Kyuubi123, Narutoenthusiast, or brown phantom (hint, hint) would like to apply their skills to writing a sequel, my approval to any of you will be swift in coming, lol.

2. I'd also prefer a writer who has a good working knowledge and understanding of the Naruto and Bleach worlds and characters.

3. Lastly, I'd like the pairing relationships I've already established in this story to remain intact and maintained in the sequel. Now that's not to say you can't make new pairings with other characters or additions to the parings I've made, like if you wanted to add say Rangiku Matsumoto into Naruto's harem just as a hypothetical example, I fine with that. I just don't wish to see say Ino running off to be with Omaeda or anything like that.

So if any author has the inclination and desire to write the sequel to this story. Just PM at your convenience and we can discuss it.

Anyway, that aside I hope everyone enjoyed this final chapter. It proved to be a challenging one for me to write, in trying to wrap up the few remaining loose ends of the tale. This is the second epilogue I've written for a story and in doing some research on how to write a proper epilogue. I learned the epilogue besides being an extension of the story; it also has a different style from the rest of the book that makes it different. So I'm sure many of you noticed the change in writing style from what I normally do. I tried to keep the chapter from being dialogue driven piece and the few snippets of dialogue you did see were always of something poignant or of significance to the tale.

I do wish to thank everyone both old and new readers who took the time to review this story. You all had a lot to say about it and I'm pleased that this tale has such a strong fan base with readers who actually write out well thought-out reviews. Because of that, I enjoy reading many of your reviews, so please leave lots of them, as they do help a writer get a sense of the thoughts and opinions of the fans of a story. They also can help lift the spirits of an author as well. Also, to any readers who are staff members to any C2 communities, please feel free to add my story to your community if you feel it is worthy of it. I won't mind, I swear. I'll even pinkie swear if I need to?

Take it easy and be good!

_**Kingkakashi **_


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